ORLANDO, Fla. – Trine University cheerleading traveled to Florida to compete in this year's Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) College Cheerleading Nationals in the Open Small Coed division and will return home with an impressive runner-up finish.
The event was a two-day process with a preliminary round held on Tuesday, April 27 and finals held on Wednesday, April 28. The overall winner would be determined by averaging the two performance scores for a final event score.
In the preliminary round, the Thunder would join just two other teams from any division with a hit-zero performance. The other two teams both came out of the All Girl division and represented University of Mississippi and Western Kentucky University. Trine would also finish the finals round hit-zero which means no stunts fell, all tumbling landed cleanly and no one violated the safety rules of the competition.
In the preliminary round, the team posted a score of 79.8 good enough to enter the finals in a tie for first, the division was extremely close with the top three teams all posting scores within .4 points of each other.
The Thunder would turn in a performance score of 83.1 in the final round making their event score 81.45 just 1.5 points behind the first-place team.
"It was our goal return from Orlando with a hit-zero performance in the finals and a championship," said head coach Shea Sims, "While we missed out on the second, I am still extremely proud of what these 18 competitors have accomplished this season despite the adversity they have been presented with."
Trine was the only institution from the state of Indiana that was able to compete in the championship in person rather than virtually.
Competing for the team were:
- Colleen Bell of West Unity, Ohio
- Emma Boggs of Angola, Indiana
- Renee Conner of Francesville, Indiana
- Jasmine Cuadrado of Portage, Indiana
- Alexis Dalessandro of Dewitt, Michigan
- Dakota Hart of Angola, Indiana
- Tiger Jackson of Ypsilanti, Michigan
- Chase Knoblock of Goshen, Indiana
- Danielle Korporal of Huntington, Indiana
- Olivia Mosier of Auburn, Indiana
- Alexis Skojac of Indianapolis, Indiana
- Sydney Stephan of Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Autumn Timm of Walkerton, Indiana
- Griffin Watson of Sterling Heights, Michigan
- Nick Wethington of Milroy, Indiana
- Britney Williams of Corunna, Indiana
- Kylie Wolverton of Pendleton, Indiana
- Trinity Wright of Fremont, Indiana
