Jan. 16, 2011
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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - UCF's spirit program wrapped up the 2011 College Cheerleading and Dance National Championships Sunday at ESPN's Wide World of Sports. The UCF cheerleaders once again proved to be one of the best in the country by receiving third place in the Division IA cheer finals.
The Knights entered the weekend ranked No. 3 in the Southeast region behind Alabama and Kentucky, and that was how the final results came in as the Crimson Tide grabbed first with the Wildcats securing second. UCF's third-place showing was the fifth-straight season the Black and Gold boasted a top-three finish, including the national title in 2007 which was the Knights' second title overall (also won in 2003).
UCF has now earned a top-10 finish at the College Cheerleading and Dance National Championships 16 times in the last 18 years under head coach Linda Gooch, who earlier in the night received the Colonel Gene Moeller Award which is presented annually to a university administrator who has made a significant impact on their university's spirit groups.
Rounding out the top five of the Division IA cheer finals were LSU and Kansas.
UCF's dance team, KnightMoves, earned a spot in the Division IA pom finals Sunday and received ninth place, one spot ahead of UAB. Minnesota took top honors with Cincinnati finishing in second.
KnightMoves also took to the stage in the Division IA jazz semifinals Saturday, while Knightro performed in the mascot competition and placed ninth Friday.
To watch highlights of the entire weekend and for a complete listing of results check out http://ucf.varsity.com/college_nationals.aspx.