This past weekend, hundreds of college cheerleading teams from around the country competed at the Universal Cheerleading Association (UCA) College Cheerleading National Championships, aka "nationals" in Orlando, FL. For the college teams who competed at nationals, this was the main event of the season. Yes, these young men and women perform at every home football and basketball game, supporting other programs at their school. But their real moment to shine comes in January at the place where dreams come true: Disney World!
College nationals is made up of several different divisions, including small co-ed, which the Purdue University spirit squad started competing in just three years ago and competed in for a fourth time this past weekend. The small co-ed division consists of teams made up of 16 members. However, they are only allowed four men maximum on the mat, usually creating a total of 4 men and 12 women. Because of the restriction on the amount of boys on the mat, this allows for members of both the co-ed team and the all girl team at Purdue to come together to play a part in this rewarding experience.
Routines typically consist of a combination of stunt, jumps, pyramids, tumbling, basket tosses, a cheer, and a dance. This year, Purdue brought their A-game with some of the most difficult skills the team has ever competed.
Two years ago, Purdue finished an impressive sixth place at nationals, and have only gotten better since. Last year, the Purdue cheerleading program finished in the top five for the first time ever.
This year, these athletes gave up a Christmas break with their familes and friends in exchange for two-a-days, sometimes three-a-days, 7 a.m. practices, weeks of exhaustion, and aching bodies to prepare for the chance to represent their school for the whole nation to see. And represent they did.
After an appearance at prelims in the morning with just one stunt fall, the squad made finals and competed again in the afternoon, an impressive task already considering how exhausting just one of these routines could be. But they came out stronger and even more confident during their second performance, determined to fix the little mistakes in prelims and improve upon their performance. The second routine was stronger, more confident, and even more energetic than the first, with not a single dropped skill.
For the first time in UCA College Cheerleading National Championship history, Purdue finished second in the nation (In 2002, Purdue placed second at NCA nationals, a similar competition the school no longer attends). Although a bittersweet moment to some of the more determined athletes who had their heart set on #1, a true testament to the talent and dedication of these men and women. After months of preparation, hard work, blood, sweat, and tears, the 2016 Purdue co-ed nationals team can now say that they've accomplished something that no other cheerleading team in the history Purdue can say they did. And Purdue couldn't be more proud.
If you're interested in viewing the history-making routine, stay on the look out for the TBD air date of UCA college nationals on ESPN. And be sure to congratulate the amazing coaching staff and athletes of Purdue Cheer on the official Purdue Spirit Squad's social media.
Twitter: @Purdue_Cheer
Facebook: Purdue University Cheerleading
Instagram: @boilerspirit
