ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - As the holiday break has recently come to a close for most students, myself and the members of the UCF Cheerleading team have been back on campus for over a week polishing their performance routine for the UCA College Cheerleading National Championship. The three-day event begins on Jan. 13 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
The first year that UCF qualified to compete in the Championship was the spring of 1994. That year the championship was held at Sea World in San Diego, Calif. This year will be the 24th year in a row that our program has qualified and competed in the Championship, all under the leadership of our coach, Linda Gooch. UCF has finished in the Top 3, 16 times, including two National Championships (2003 + 2007) and five runner-up finishes (thee of which came from the past three years). We are set to make the crosstown trip and go up head to head against Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio State, LSU, Tennessee and many more.
Over the last few month, we have been cheering on the sidelines at football, basketball and volleyball games. In addition to cheering our Knights on, we have also dedicated time to practicing for the Championship.
While many college students have taken their winter break as a time to visit home, relax, and see friends, the 2017 Nationals team used most of this time to prepare for the Championship. Our team practiced almost every day, which included two-a-day practices. We have performed our nationals routine for our fans at both men's and women's basketball games and recently performed at a local high school cheerleading competition.
For the next week, the UCF Cheerleading team wants to invite all Knights fans to follow our 'Road to Nationals blog'. Follow the Knights on social media (Twitter/Facebook/Instagram) to stay updated as we provide an inside look on how our practices and performances are going. We would also like to encourage our fans to come out and support us on Jan. 15 at hp Field House at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, as we compete for the UCA College Cheerleading National Championship. The crowd and its energy are an important factor and we would love to have you there!
Go Knights, Charge On!
Jay Hollman