LEXINGTON, Ky.  – The Mercyhurst STUNT team competed in day one of the 2026 Bluegrass Classic. The Lakers came in at No. 4 in the nation in the preseason rankings, a spot they have rightfully earned. They took on Tiffin in game one and beat with them with a commanding score, 27-9. The Lakers then began MAWC play vs. No. 8 Northern Kentucky in game two. They continued to shine as they defeated the Norse, 25-6. 
 
In game one, Mercyhurst was nearly perfect. They nailed their partner stunts in the first quarter and earned all possible points. The pyramids and tosses quarter was a bit tougher, but they were leading Tiffin 8-3 at the half. In the third quarter, the Lakers' tumbling was on point as they won all four rounds. The two sides began the fourth quarter strong as they shared all the points in the first round. In second and third round of this team routine quarter, the Lakers continued to dominate. They earned all possible points after executing each routine. The Dragons earned a point in the final round, but the Lakers already had a sizable lead to secure the victory, 27-9. 
 
The Lakers earned the first point of the partner stunts quarter just as they had done in game one. In the third round of this quarter, NKU earned their first point of the contest. Simultaneously, the Lakers narrowly beat them out for a two-point round to maintain their early lead. In the pyramids and tosses quarter, the Lakers capitalized on a Norse hiccup and secured the opening point. NKU then took the second point of this quarter before Mercyhurst won another two-point round. The score was 9-3 at the half. 
 
In quarter three, the Lakers shutout the Norse and gained another four points. All of their tumbling routines had landed, and they held a 10-point lead headed into the fourth quarter. The Lakers continued to shine in the fourth quarter, winning every point for every round and routine. They capped their day off with a two-point victory in the jumps and tumbling of the team routine quarter as they defeated the Norse, 26-5.
 
Mercyhurst will compete in two more games tomorrow, Feb. 2. Game one will take place at 12:30 p.m. vs. St. Mary's. Game two is set for 4 p.m. against the hosts of the tournament, Kentucky. Viewers can find the livestream using the link here.