Michigan Cheerleading wins 3rd straight NCA National Championship
A dynasty has been born. 3-peat national champions.
Also, fun fact: Michigan head coach Pam St. John is Drake Johnson's mom.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The University of Michigan cheer team captured its third consecutive national title at the 2015 National Cheerleaders Association Collegiate Cheer Championship on Friday (April 10) at the Ocean Center.
The Wolverines claimed the crown in the Coed Intermediate I division, besting eight other teams that advanced to the final round following a preliminary round Thursday (April 9).
Michigan sat in third after yesterday's prelims, suffering a two-point deduction off their routine for a score of 85.03. That number advanced U-M from a field of 16 programs -- the largest, most competitive division in college nationals -- into today's finals.
Before today's performance, the Wolverines altered their routine in the hopes of improving upon the jumps and tumbling scores received in the preliminary round and boosting their maximum possible score.
The move by head coach Pam St. John and her staff paid off, as the Maize and Blue edged a talented SMU squad, scoring 85.78 points with no deductions to the Mustangs' also perfect score of 85.70.
Michigan has now won three consecutive national titles, finishing no worse than runner-up in the team's four competitions dating back to 2012.
The nationals team includes: seniors Ira Brandon III, Quinton Carter-Jones, Mimi Conley, Annie Dreisbach, Cassandra Gelov, Nathan Janes, Carly Pinkerton and Brett Schultz; juniors Evan Hampton, Tori Martinsen, Patrick McClosky, Nicolas Millado, Emily Savage, Kevin Waterman and Trevor Zajac; sophomores Hanna Gelov, Kaitlin Hamacher, Nicole Latham, Erica Myrick, Alex Snow; and freshmen Kristina Hollis and Priscilla Huddleston.
Don't know that much about it, but from what I can find, it seems that the "NCA" competition that Michigan keeps winning is the lesser of the two cheerleading competitions. I think the "UCA" competition has the stronger reputation.
Seems analagous to claiming you are national champions, when you win the NIT basketball tourney. Strictly interpreting you are correct in making that announcement, but not really...
Maybe they'll move up after winning three more National Championships. A former cheerleader posted on here a few years ago that Michigan started doing these national competitions again in 2011 or 2012 so perhaps they're just easing into it.
Either way, it'll be nice to see all these national championship banners hanging in the Volleyball new arena in 2018 which will also be home to M Gym, Wrestling, Cheer and Dance.
Both get you a pat on that back and this is about it.
but it looks like there's actually a big stylistic difference so I don't think its accurate to say it's "lower" per se.
UCA = old school 'classic' style cheerleading with a "Gameday" component
NCA = more 'allstar' dance style cheereading w/ more acrobatics for both guys and gals
Here's a good example
It does seem correct that average competition level is higher for UCA though.
I'm assuming that .08 is a VERY close score. Go Blue! Great job!
DID we go on to beat 'em? Am I missing something?
It was more how'd we beat USC cheerleaders in any competition. Michigan just so happens to be featured in this great picture.
Yes, I'll toast to that, too.
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The best bodies money can buy.
Green Bay has hired Linc Darner to replace Brian Wardle. Won D-2 national title with Florida southern.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) April 10, 2015
cool!
S/O to @umichspirit on winning its 3rd-straight National Championship! Making us all Proud! #GoBlue
— Coach Harbaugh (@CoachJim4UM) April 10, 2015
In fact, it sounds like a wonderful corollary to having an elite gymnastics program
Congrats to the cheer team on winning. Sadly cheerleading is not a sport in the eyes of the law (and most men).
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April 10th, 2015 at 10:37 PM ^
April 11th, 2015 at 12:42 PM ^
Douche.
edit: I'm replying to one of the banned users that can still post on the app.
Since when are flexible girls being flexible NOT a sport?
Can there be a competitive element, or some aesthetic criteria for judging good or bad? Sure. But that's not a sport. They're performative, not athletic in that scores are subjective.
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(I only know this stuff cuz my wife is a cheer coach. I'll just shut up now and stick to football)
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