ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - The UCF spirit team is excited about the upcoming football and basketball seasons. Preparations have begun for creating a fun and interactive experience at game days this fall.
Tryouts for KnightMoves and Team Knightro were completed in mid-April. Cheerleading tryouts culminated during the first weekend of May.
Interested students came from as far as Washington and California for a chance to be a part of UCF's nationally-acclaimed cheer team. When the final team members were announced, all of the hard work and sacrifices made were worth it. The joy and excitement for each member of the squad was evident.
Related: Cheer Roster | KnightMoves Roster | Team Knightro Roster
"One of our freshmen girls, Regan Johnson, has attended UCF football games and UCF cheer camps since she was 11 years old," head coach Linda Gooch said. "Seeing the excitement on her face was so rewarding. Clearly that moment had been her dream for many years."
After graduating nine seniors, the team was looking for some strong candidates to step up.
"It's always exciting to see the future of our program walk in the door," senior Kevin Delgado said. "This year's male recruits are both strong and talented. They seem to have a pretty good work ethic already."
Senior Joel Wadzinski is also looking forward to working with this year's team.
"Not only did they display physical skills beyond my expectations for incoming freshmen, but they are already passionate about what our program stands for," Wadzinski added.
A total of 18 newcomers were selected to the team this season, which includes 12 freshmen and six junior college transfers.
"I chose UCF because in my freshman year of high school, my first UCA camp was here. That's when I fell in love with the campus," incoming freshman Grayce Insua said.
Insua and many other newcomers to the team mentioned their excitement for the start of football season and the chance to cheer their first game in Bright House Stadium.
If you would like to follow the team as they prepare for the upcoming season and on their road to national competition in January, follow us on Twitter @UCF_CheerTeam, or on Instagram @UCF.Cheerleading.
Written by Zachary Seth; Edited by Nate Blythe.