The Co-Ed Cheer Squad earned second place at the NCA & NDA Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championships.
Texas Tech University's Co-Ed Cheer Squad, part of the Spirit Program, took second place today (April 8) at the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) & National Dance Alliance (NDA) Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championships in Daytona Beach, Florida.
In the Division 1A Co-Ed Cheer category, the squad finished behind Oklahoma State University (OSU) by less than two-tenths of a point and beat out third-place University of Louisville by more than half a point.
“I'm so very proud of the squad,” said Bruce Bills, head cheer and mascot coach for Texas Tech. “Second place is a tremendous accomplishment – especially when less than two-tenths of a point separated first and second place. This squad represented Texas Tech so well all year long, and we will build on this and come back even better next year.”
The Co-Ed Cheer Squad has consistently finished in the top three throughout the past decade, winning the national championship in 2017 and 2019 and earning second place last year.
After the preliminary round of competition on Thursday (April 7), Texas Tech was on top with a score of 97.213, leading OSU in second place with a score of 96.2963 and Louisville in third with a score of 94.8519. Texas Tech finished today's final round with a score of 97.1157, falling behind OSU's score of 97.2963 and beating Louisville's score of 96.5741.
“I could not be prouder of our Co-Ed Cheer Squad,” said Stephanie Rhode, director of the Spirit Program. “They overcame an unexpected obstacle yesterday when a cheerleader was injured, which forced us to change the personnel in our routine. The squad worked hard, performed valiantly and never quit. We are honored to bring home a second-place trophy.”
Texas Tech's co-ed partner team and Raider Red will compete Saturday (April 9) for a national title in the 2022 NCA Partner Stunt and Mascot Championships, respectively.
