ORLANDO, Fla. – The Trine University cheer team competed in the program's first-ever Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) Collegiate Nationals event this past weekend and finished fifth in their division.

The team competed in the Small Coed Division II category against 11 other teams. On the morning of Saturday, Jan. 19 the team took the mat for the first time in the preliminary round. Their performance was good enough to advance to the finals, held later in the day.

The Thunder along with five other teams performed their routine again in the finals and Trine came in fifth when all was said and done.

"When I arrived at Trine seven years ago it was my goal to build a team mentally and physically strong enough to compete at the level we did this weekend," said head coach Shea Sims. "I am ecstatic that this team made the finals and finished as a top-five team. I can't wait to see where we go from here."

The UCA Collegiate Nationals is the premier event for college competitive cheerleading. The finals will be aired at a later date on ESPN.