Jan. 15, 2005
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - UCF's varsity cheerleading squad was one of eight schools to punch their ticket to the finals of the Universal Cheer Association College Nationals on Saturday evening at Walt Disney World's Wide World of Sports Complex.
The UCF Cheerleaders placed first of the 15 squads that were competing for a berth in the finals.
"I was most pleased with our young kids tonight," Coach Linda Gooch said. "You can only control what you do out there, and not worry about what the other schools have up their sleeve. Our kids performed excellent under the circumstances."
Gooch and her squad did a walk-thru at the Wide World of Sports last night. That way many of her first-year members could see the cameras and lights before hitting the stage.
The squad suffered a fall early in the routine, but was able to overcome the error with a strong overall performance.
"It's something that is easily corrected," Gooch said. "It was one of our veterans, and they can suffer the burden without having the burden overcome them so I'm not concerned at all."
Eight schools representing different regions earned an automatic bid to the finals based on video clips sent in prior to the competition, and did not have to compete in the semifinals.
They join the eight squads that earned a spot to the finals on Saturday evening. There is a clean slate for the finals, and nothing carries over from the previous day.
The cheer finals begin at 6:30p.m. with the Knights taking the mats eighth before Louisiana State University and after the University of Minnesota. Gooch feels good about the draw.
"We're right in the middle of the pack," Gooch said. "It's going to help us the most. If you go early your worried about the judges holding back. We're going after Alabama and LSU. If we nail our routine our score is going to reflect that."
UCF has finished in the top 10 nationally in 10 of the last 11 seasons, including four consecutive years in the top three. The squad finished third last season after capturing the school's lone national championship in 2003.
"We have a very strong routine," Gooch said. "There is no holding back tomorrow."
KnightMoves, the UCF dance team, also qualified for the finals of the Universal Dance Association College Nationals.
The dance finals proceed the cheer finals at 5:00p.m. at the Wide World of Sports Complex. UCF will look to improve on consecutive fifth place finishes.
Admission is $25 for the both the dance and cheer finals. Varsity.com will post scores, and have updated standings for the finals. Click on Competitions and then go to College National Championship.