ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - The College Cheerleading and Dance National Championships are set for Jan. 18-20 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. UCF Cheerleading and KnightMoves have been preparing to take the stage all year and have couple of events coming up to showcase their routines.
The cheer team was runner-up last year and has finished in the top four in the last 13 competitions. Under the guidance of head coach Linda Gooch, UCF has placed in the Top 10 of the College Cheerleading National Championships 23 times in the last 25 years, including national titles in 2003 and 2005.
Fans at men's and women's basketball games have seen the cheerleaders and KnightMoves perform at halftime over the past month in preparation for the event.
This year, UCF is fielding two different cheerleading teams. The first is the regular “Performance Routine” which has all of the high flying acrobatic elements that fans have seen in the past. The new team they are fielding will compete in the Division 1-A Game Day Championship. This routine is all crowd-leading and contains all of the traditional elements that you would see the team engage in on a football or basketball sideline.
Below is the schedule for their final week of preparation as the Knights head toward championship weekend.
Monday - 6:00 p.m. - Practice Gym in The Venue
Alumni, Family, and Friends Showcase - for all fans interested in watching the Knights perform their routine
Tuesday - Practice Gym in The Venue
Team Practice
Wednesday - Performances at WBB
The Nationals Team performs at Women's Basketball Halftime (7 PM Tip off)
The Gameday Team performs post-game
Thursday - Disney Wide World of Sports
Rehearsal at Wide World of Sports
Friday - 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. - UCF Arena
Host competition joint practice session with other college teams in The Venue.
Friday - 4:00 p.m. - ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Gameday team competes in semis
(Finals for Division 1A Gameday are held from 8-10 PM)
Saturday - ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Nationals Team competes in Division 1-A Semifinals at noon
(Cheer Semi-Finals Location is the New NW Pavilion Building in South Arena)
Knightmoves competes in Jazz semi-finals at 1:55 PM
(Jazz Semi Finals location is the HP Field House)
Sunday - ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Finals: 9-10 AM for Knightmoves Jazz
(Jazz 1A Finals Location is the New NW Pavilion Building in South Arena)
Noon Nationals competes in World Univ. Competition
(Location for the World University Competition is the HP Field House)
For a complete schedule and updates on the competition visit the Varisty.com pages for the UCA and UDA.
Fans can also find the latest news and information directly from the UCF cheerleading squad by following them on Twitter (@UCF_CheerTeam & @UCF_KnightMoves) and on Instagram (@UCF.CheerTeam & @UCFKnightMoves).