The 'Bows, who are known for their dynamic and creative stunts, basket tosses, pyramids and overall routine, enter the competition as the top seeded Division IA squad from the West Region after their qualification video received a perfect score of 15 points. It is only the second time in school history that UH received all 15 points for their qualification video. Their No. 1 seeding advances the Hawaii squad straight to the finals, bypassing the preliminary rounds. The 'Bows will compete against 14 other DIA teams in the Championship, including perennial powers Kentucky, Alabama, Ohio State, and Memphis.

This year marks the return of the UH team to the UCA Nationals after taking last year off to compete and win MTV"s "Paula Abdul's RAH! Cheerleading Bowl." Traditionally, Hawai'i has finished in the top 10 in the competition. The highest UH has ever placed was third in both 2005 and '01 and in their last appearance at the UCA championship, the 'Bows finished seventh in 2008.

The 2010 cheer squad is one of the youngest in recent history, with 10 newcomers and just 6 returnees. Only three of the current team members have had the experience of performing on the national stage.

"We have a very young team with great potential," said head coach Mike Baker. "But we have worked extremely hard the past few months to raise our level of competition. Our last few practices have been phenomenal and the team is really starting to click. It was difficult for our newcomers to understand the speed and precision required to be an elite team. But i think that we have prepared well and are ready for the challenge." Baker continued, 

"What makes the UCA Nationals different from other competitions is that it is not just about stunts, tumbling and pyramids," says Baker. "To me, it's a truer representation of what college cheerleading is about...supporting our various teams while getting the fans involved in the game. We have a lot of pride in what we do and we want to represent the University and the State of Hawaii to the best of our ability. The foundation that we've built this year with our young team will position ourselves well for next year and well into the future." 

Teams will be a panel of judges with the highest possible point total being 100.

Point breakdown
    50 pts - Crowd participation.

        15- qualification video

        35 - cheer portion of routine

    50 pts - Skills

        15 - stunts

        15 - pyramids

        5 - basket tosses

        5 - tumbling

        10 - overall impression