GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Conference Carolinas conference office announced the annual coaches poll and players to watch for the 2026 season, Converse University was selected to finish sixth overall.
 
Converse received 35 total points in this year's standings, finishing in front of Belmont Abbey, Francis Marion, King and Newberry. Lander was picked to win the conference with 75 total points and five first place votes. Coker was slated in the second position with 68 total points and two first place votes, followed by Mars Hill in third place with 64 total points and one first place vote. Wingate was picked to finish fourth overall with 63 total points and two first place votes, while Montevallo rounded out the top-five of the conference standings.
 
Madison Seymour (Lockport, Ill.) the 2024 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year was picked as a Player to Watch for the Valkyries. Kaylah Belle Danjczek (Berryville, Va.) is entering her third year for the Valkyries Acrobatics and Tumbling team and was also picked as a Player to Watch for the Conference. Newcomer Kendra Bryan (Rock Hill, S.C.) is the third Valkyrie to be selected for the Players to Watch list by the conference.  
 
 
2026 Conference Carolinas Acrobatics & Tumbling Preseason Poll
School                         Total (First Place)
1          Lander                         75 (5)
2          Coker                           68 (2)
3          Mars Hill                      64 (1)
4          Wingate                       63 (2)
5          Montevallo                  49
6          Converse                     35
7          Belmont Abbey             34
8          Francis Marion            29
9          King                             24
10        Newberry                     9
 
2026 Conference Carolinas Acrobatics & Tumbling Players to Watch
Belmont Abbey
Isabella Schrout, Sr., Top, Morgantown, West Virginia
Sadie Hunt, Jr., Base/Tumbler, Chesterfield, Michigan
Tia Fluellen, So., Tumbler, Marietta, Georgia
 
Coker
Anna Kate Barrier, Jr., Tumble/Top, McKinney, Texas
Chole Hull, Sr., Tumble/Base, Clover, South Carolina
Olivia Sison, Sr., Tumble/Top, Yardley, Pennsylvania
 
Converse
Kendra Bryan, So., Rock Hill, South Carolina
Madison Seymour, Jr., Lockport, Illinois (2024 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year)
Kaylah Belle Danjczek, Jr., Berryville, Virginia
 
Francis Marion
Destiny Keve, So., Base/Top/Tumbler, Lake City, South Carolina (2025 second team All-Conference Carolinas)
Eilee Gonzales, Jr., Base/Top/Tumbler, Copperas Cove, Texas
Keirstyn Rogers, Jr., Base/Tumbler, Sumter, South Carolina
 
King
Caroline Etter, Sr., Zionsville, Indiana (2025 second team All-Conference Carolinas)
Kate McCracken, So., Hickory, North Carolina
Anna Sonnichsen, Fr., Kennewick, Washington
 
Lander
Cayden Groome, Jr., Base/Tumbler, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, (2025 second team All-Conference Carolinas)
Ashlyn Shively, Jr., Top/Tumbler, Pinehurst, North Carolina, (2025 second team All-Conference Carolinas)
Morgan Axiotis, Jr., Top/Tumbler, Jacksonville, Florida
 
Mars Hill
Kerry Hampson, Sr., Base/Mid, Wexford, Ireland
Zoey Franklin, Jr., Top/Tumbler, Rome, Georgia, (2025 first team All-Conference Carolinas)
Reese Goldberg, So., Base/Tumbler, Signal Mountain, Tennessee
 
Montevallo
Lexie Cole, So., Tumbler/Top, Fort Myers, Florida
Rilyn McAllister, So., Base/Tumbler, Alexandria, Virginia
Katie Quinn, So., Tumbler/Top, Bend, Oregon
 
Newberry
Makayla Brown, So., Top/Tumbler, Fayetteville, North Carolina
Emily Sessions, Fr., Base, Lexington, South Carolina
Hannah Ghaly, Sr., Top/Tumbler, Albany, New York
 
Wingate
Emeri Echols, Fr., Top/Tumbler, Rex, Georgia
Abigayle Heney, So., Top/Tumbler, Troutman, North Carolina (2025 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year)
Brooke Spurway, So., Base/Tumbler, Okotoks, Alberta, Canada (2025 first team All-Conference Carolinas)

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