ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – Excited about competing in front of a standing-room only crowd for the finals of the UCA College Cheerleading National Championships, UCF executed a challenging routine and energized the crowd Sunday inside hp Field House at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The Knights finished fourth, earning their 12th-consecutive top-four accolade at the event.
"I am very proud of our team," head coach Linda Gooch said. "Yesterday, we were second in the semifinals behind Kentucky. Tonight, we struggled on an element early in the performance. We really showed our toughness and discipline, and were able to keep our focus and finish strong through the end. This effort kept us in contention with a fourth-place finish.
"Six of our seven girls had never competed with us before and all will return next year. The future is bright for our program, and we will be ready to get back to work this week. I want to thank all of the UCF fans that supported us this year and especially to those that came out to the competition to cheer us on!"
UCF had an impressive run of three-consecutive runner-up finishes come to an end this year. The program has now placed in the Top 10 of the College Cheerleading National Championships 22 times in the last 24 years under head coach Linda Gooch, including national titles in 2003 and 2007.
Kentucky captured the national championship, while Alabama and Ole Miss rounded out the top three.
More information about the UCA College Cheerleading National Championships can be found at Varsity.com. ESPN is set to air a tape delayed broadcast later this spring.
Congratulate the cheerleading team on social media by sending them a message on Twitter @UCF_Cheer, Instagram @UCFCheer and Facebook at /UCFCheerTeam.