BALTIMORE — Morgan State's Acrobatic and Tumbling team has been making waves on social media with a routine that had not been done before.
The name of the routine is a two feet split with straddle, highlighted by Rayla Buckner and freshman Lauren Perkins.
The video has been seen online by more than three million people.
"When we first completed the move, I was pretty nervous but going into this week, especially, I was very confident. Me and Rayla were very excited to go out and do a split," says Buckner, who is the base.
Perkins says pulling off a routine of this caliber takes immense trust.
"Somebody can have the strength and somebody can have the flexibility, but it does take trust as well because she has to trust me as I'm sliding down and only with arm strength only for her to hold a straddle," says Perkins.
Trusting and challenging her girls is nothing new for head coach Regina Smith. She recruits girls who are not only physically but mentally strong as well, like A'Lycia Moore. She's a junior who is living her best life back on the floor after recovering from a torn Achilles back in October 2023.
"The recovery was, it was a challenge because I had to learn how to walk again. But also, I learned how to find joy in running again, walking again breathing again. It's like when you have something that you love so much taken away from me, you have to re-identify yourself," says Moore.
Perkins also faced doubts of staying at Morgan State, but endured the challenge. Like her and her team, love the appreciation they're receiving.
"Now I really do like it here and especially considering how much recognition we're getting right now it does make me appreciate the fact that I stayed here," says Perkins.
"In August, we knew that we wanted to make history. We did that. Now since we did that we have to continue that. And now the next journey is nationals," says Moore.
Morgan State's next meet is this Saturday at home against Long Island University at 2:00 pm.
