SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Following event finals on the final day of the 2025 National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA) National Championships on Sunday afternoon, the association announced its yearly awards winners, All-American Team, All-Academic Team and Academic Honor Roll.
The awards were headlined by the Most Outstanding Athlete of the Year at each level of competition. Baylor's Payton Washington earned the Division I Athlete of the Year award, while Limestone's Kacie Kier was honored as the Division II Athlete of the Year. UMHB's Kaydi Brechler was voted the Division III Athlete of the Year.
Baylor's Jordan Gruendler, Saint Leo's Abbie Baker and UMHB's Natalie Podsednik were recognized as the divisional winners of the NCATA Specialist of the Year awards. Gruendler is now a three-time Specialist of the Year at the Division I level.
The 2025 major awards continued with the 2025 Freshman of the Year awards. The divisional winners included Baylor's Leavy McDonald, Glenville State's Aubrey Ward and UMHB's Riley Gray.
In honor of Colleen Kausrud, one of the founding coaches in the association from Azusa Pacific, the NCATA added the Colleen Kausrud Leadership Award to the regular season annual awards presented at the NCATA National Championships in 2021.
Throughout her career, Kausrud exemplified servant leadership in her work with the NCATA and at Azusa Pacific. A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong.
The Colleen Kausrud Leadership Award is awarded annually to a senior student-athlete who exemplifies servant leadership throughout her career by:
• Being considered a selfless leader among teammates and coaches
• Demonstrating leadership in her campus or local community
• Contributing positively to the sport of Acrobatics & Tumbling through advocacy, education or training at the youth level
The winner of the 2025 Colleen Kausrud Leadership Award is Abbigale Abramson from Azusa Pacific University.
Limestone's Anna Warring was the recipient of the 2024 Louise Goodrum Academic Award. Arre has a perfect 4.0 grade-point average at LU.
The Louise Goodrum Academic Award is given annually to recognize the true meaning of student-athlete. Modeled after the NCAA's Elite 90 award, which honors the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport while also achieving the highest academic standard in his/her sport. In the NCATA, the award is presented to the junior or senior student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average whose team earned a berth participating in the NCATA national championship tournament.
In addition, Baylor's Felecia Mulkey was voted the 2025 Coach of the Year. Mulkey's Baylor Bears won their 10th-consecutive national title on Saturday night at the Elmen Center.
The NCATA also announced its 16-member All-American Team, eight-member All-Acadmeic Team, and Academic Honor Roll on Sunday afternoon (each listed/linked below).
| 2025 NCATA Major Award Winners |
Most Outstanding Athlete of the Year
Division I: Payton Washington (Baylor)
Division II: Kacie Kier (Limestone)
Division III: Kaydi Brechler (UMHB) |
Specialist of the Year
Division I: Jordan Gruendler (Baylor)
Division II: Abbie Baker (Saint Leo)
Division III: Natalie Podsednik (UMHB) |
Freshman of the Year
Division I: Leavy McDonald (Baylor)
Division II: Aubrey Ward (Glenville State)
Division III: Riley Gray (UMHB) |
| Colleen Kausrud Leadership Award: Abbigale Abramson (Azusa Pacific) |
| Louise Goodrum Academic Award: Anna Warring (Limestone) |
| Coach of the Year: Felecia Mulkey (Baylor) |
| 2025 NCATA All-America Team |
| Name |
School |
|
| Abbie Baker |
Saint Leo |
|
| Emily Bott |
Baylor |
|
| Kaydi Brechler |
UMHB |
|
| Savannah Duckworth |
Glenville State |
|
| Hallie Fowler |
Quinnipiac |
|
| Alexis Giardina |
Oregon |
|
| Jordan Gruendler |
Baylor |
|
| Abby Katz |
Presbyterian |
|
| Kacie Kier |
Limestone |
|
| MiaRose King |
Quinnipiac |
|
| Katey Koehl |
Fairmont State |
|
| Leavy McDonald |
Baylor |
|
| Blessyn McMorris |
Oregon |
|
| McKenna Trowbridge |
Augustana |
|
| Ty Upton |
Iona |
|
| Payton Washington |
Baylor |
|
| 2025 NCATA All-Academic Team |
| Janai Brown |
Limestone |
|
| Chloe Cleland |
Converse |
|
| Jordan Gruendler |
Baylor |
|
| Natalie Homerding |
Augustana |
|
| Jackie McGuire |
UMHB |
|
| Emily St. Onge |
Quinnipiac |
|
| Rylee Vinson |
Fairmont State |
|
| DeAnna Wollard |
Belmont Abbey |
|
| 2025 NCATA Academic Honor Roll * |
| CLICK HERE |
* All members of the NCATA Academic Honor Roll must have a grade-point average of 3.30 or higher and be on their team's active roster.