Drury University’s cheerleading team brought home the championship title from Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) Nationals, beating out the eight-time national champions after two straight years of coming in second place. UCA Nationals is the most prestigious cheer competition in the country.

Setting the bar high

Assistant Coach Bree Corbet explains how the UCA National Championship is different from what spectators see on the sidelines at basketball games.

“What we do on the sides lines is geared toward leading the crowd. Any skills we incorporate are very basic and designed to engage the crowd,” said Corbet. “Nationals is a two and a half minute routine of the most skills we can do. Some of these skill cannot be legally preformed on a hardwood floor only on mats so most of what we do at nationals cannot be done at games.”

After coming in second place for two straight years, the cheerleading team knew they wanted to take home the win this year. “We just got really smart with what skills the kids could do and making sure we hit out routine,” said head coach Ashley Parnell about what the team did in preparation for this year’s coemption.

Drury’s cheer squad celebrating first place (Photo via Bree Corbet)

Evolution of the team

Senior Aubrey Nielsen explained her mindset going into this year’s competition “My freshman year we didn’t even make it to finals. The whole dynamic of the team was different the bond in teammates and work ethic just wasn’t there.”

She continues,”My sophomore year was a turning point. We pretty much had a whole new team and that year was the first time getting second place. That light a fire in us we just knew we could do it. Going in this year we were just thinking we couldn’t get second place again, we had to win.”

Bree Corbet, assistant coach and alumni of the Drury cheer program said about her team’s success, “From where we were when I started at Drury in ’09 to now is an absolute dream. I wouldn’t have believed we could place first then or even five years ago. It’s an absolutely incredible feeling to go against so many amazing teams, including the eight time national champions and be able to score higher—It’s an about honor. I’m absolutely speechless thinking about it.”

The team plans to defend their title next year. “Right now skill development and recruiting new freshman is the main focus. We have a very good plan in place with hard work in and out of practices. We’re all on the same page about the work that needs to be put in,” said Parnell.

Written by Marissa Mayfield.