ORLANDO - The University of Hawai'i cheerleading team placed eighth in the 2010 Universal Cheerleaders Association Collegiate National Championships this past weekend at ESPN's Wide World of Sports® Milk House in Orlando, Fla.
Hawaii, the top seeded Division IA squad from the West Region, was one the least experienced teams in the competition after graduating out a large number of seniors last year. Even with the lack of nationals experience, Hawaii competed well, performing a difficult routine filled with original stunts and dynamic basket tosses and pyramids that impressed the judges and fans alike, placing them once again in the top ten.
“I was proud of the courage our team showed when they took the floor,” said head coach Mike Baker. “We hit a challenging stunt combination in the opening and then nailed an original and very difficult pyramid sequence in the first half of the program. But the early success in the routine caused us to become excited that created a bit of a disconnect within the team. After the first half I realized that the team was too pumped. But once the music starts, you can't stop, so I could only stand on the side and watch them try to work through that emotion. We ended up not performing the middle, “cheer” portion of our program as well as we had in practice, but in the end the team showed a great deal of poise by regrouping and finishing strong.”
“We are an extremely young team,” continued Baker. “Only three out of our 16 member team have ever stepped foot on the UCA Nationals floor—the most prestigious competition in cheerleading. I thought they showed a lot of heart and they represented both the University and the State of Hawai'i with pride. We are graduating only one person this spring, so we have the potential to return virtually everyone next year.”
“Hawai'i has a lot of fans across the country who look forward to our performances because we are known for being an innovative team,” said Baker. “Fans watching were surprised to learn how young we are because they performed like a veteran team. This year, because of our youth, we worked hard to lay down a solid foundation of fundamentals and skills. We're really looking forward to the possibilities for next year. The team now fully understands the high-level of skill and speed required to be considered truly elite, and I believe we have a bright future ahead of us.”
Coed Division IA Final Results
1. University of Kentucky
2. University of Alabama
3. UCF
4. Louisiana State University
5. The Ohio State University
6. Mississippi State University
7. University of Minnesota – Minneapolis
8. University of Hawai'i
9. Western Kentucky University
10. University of Kansas
11. University of Memphis
12. University of Mississippi
13. Indiana University
14. Pennsylvania State University - University Park
15. Florida State University
