Beyond the sidelines of Flowers Hall and Braly Municipal Stadium, the UNA cheer squad is preparing to compete nationally against other collegiate squads for a national title for the first time in six years. 

UNA freshman Erica Juneac said, “I think it’s really impressive that our cheer squad has been working so hard to compete at such an intense level of cheer.”

UNA’s cheer squad is entering the competitive side of cheerleading with passion, excellence, drive and accuracy, said David Bullard, head cheerleading coach.

“I have never seen a squad this talented,” he said. “They have a wonderful work ethic.”

UNA’s cheer squad is a small division-II, co-ed squad. 

Small division-II co-ed squads consist of no more than 16 members and are determined by the amount of men on the team – of which there can be no more than four, Bullard said. In collegiate competitions, the competition typically takes place once a year, he said. 

This is the first time the UNA cheer squad will enter competitive cheering in six years. 

UNA will compete in the Universal Cheer Association (UCA) during the season.

The 2014 College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship will be hosted at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla on Jan. 17-19.

The competition will be aired on ESPN, and the team’s biggest competitors will likely be Wilmington University and Columbus State University, Bullard said.

UNA junior Ashlyn Richter said she is in her second year of cheering for UNA.

“I am beyond excited,” Richter said. “I have done competitions before, but never on the collegiate level.” 

The amount of practicing required for competition has encouraged squad members to play more active roles on the team, said UNA senior Caleb Canals, who has cheered for UNA’s squad for two years.   

The aspect of competition has also helped to strengthen the squad’s ideals of teamwork, said Canals and Richter.

“Before, you could get away with not addressing issues, and you could be very passive about your problems,” he said. “When it comes to working as a team to do a specific job, you have to lay your individual thoughts aside and learn how cooperate as a team.” (TP: WHO IS “HE”?)

UNA’s cheerleading squad is expected to place in the top three at the UCA competition, Bullard said.