The University of Colorado Boulder cheer team performs at halftime during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at the CU Events Center on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (Tyler Phillips/CU Independent)
The University of Colorado Boulder’s cheer team competed in Universal Cheerleaders Association Nationals from Jan. 17 through Jan. 19. The team placed first in the semifinals in the Small Coed Division IA, but then ended up finishing last in the finals. The question on everyone’s mind: what went wrong?
The cheerleaders competed in various categories including: All Girl Group Stunt, Spirit Game Day and Small Coed Group. The Spirit of Colorado entered the national competition with their heads held high and expectations through the roof following a showcase held in the event center that ignited excitement from the audience.
The All-Girl team stepped onto the stage with a desire to win, but placed No. 17 overall during the semifinals and didn’t qualify for the finals. To add to the heartbreak, the Cheer and Dance team’s performance for Spirit Game Day landed them in sixth place, just short of a qualifying rank ahead of the finals.
During the semifinals, the Small Coed Division IA team earned an impressive raw score of 87.5 and only a one point deduction for the routine, totaling their event score to 86.5. This put them in first place and sent the team to finals in this the category for the first time in program history. Heading into the finals, CU led, with Purdue University, University of Minnesota and the University of Memphis all trailing close behind. All they had to do next was go onto the stage and fight to retain their placement.
The team came out full of energy and radiating excitement ahead of the performance. They began their routine with impressive momentum for a spot on the podium.
In a stunt sequence following their enthusiastic spiriting and a promising start to their routine, a center stunt involving a partner hand in hand onto a thigh stand of another flyer fell short of expectations. The stunt notably struggled and ultimately, after being fought for, shakily recovered. However, the basket portion immediately following the close-call recentered the team and audience as a championship-worthy squad.
The team seemed to slipup again in the next partner stunt sequence, with three out of the six partner stunts not hitting and a fourth looking like it was following suit. The team tried to brush it off and continued to their pyramid, where they began to hit impressive stunts with ease. After a final bobble and out of sync finishing pose, the cheerleaders spirited off the stage, with a looming disappointment evident in the unstable routine.
They racked up three full deductions, which gave them a final raw score of 81.4 and an event score of 78.4. The team who placed fifth in the semifinals, Bowling Green State University, walked out champions.
The next time the Colorado cheerleaders take to the national stage will be April 9 at the NCA College Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida, where they will have another chance for their hard work pay off.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Julie Torten Rabinowitz at Julie.TortenRabinowitz@colorado.edu
