By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It's not surprising to see the Tennessee Tech spirit squads coming back from the Universal Cheer Association and Universal Dance Association Nationals competition bringing back hardware. This season was no exception as the Golden Eagle teams squared off against some of the best teams in the nation and headed back to Cookeville with high marks and a new trophy for the case.
The Tech cheerleading team finished fourth in the nation in the Division I College Game Day Division. Facing schools like Butler, Hofstra and Delaware, the Golden Eagles completed multiple pyramids and basket tosses, while demonstrating elite skills. Tech had the second-highest raw score through the initial round and finished fourth in a highly-competitive division.
This year marked the seventh year for the Game Day Division, showcasing what traditional cheerleading is all about – leading the crowd.
It was the Tech team's second year competing in Division I Small Co-Ed Game Day, showing a two-spot improvement from their performance in 2023. With a young group of mainly underclassmen, the team will continue to grow for future competition.
Tech's dance team took home a 12th-place finish in the Division I Hip-Hop Division, the first year to compete in the classification. The young squad took on great competition in Delaware, Utah Valley and St. John's and performed well, using multiple tricks, lifts and innovative choreography.
It was the culmination of countless hours of preparation during the holiday break, while still making appearances in the community and cheering and dancing at Tech basketball games.
The overall event – the most prestigious cheer event of the year – is the culmination of the season for cheerleaders and dancers across the world. Held this past January 12-14 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World, the competition featured powerhouse programs from all around the country, including schools from the Big Ten, Southeastern Conference and more, as well as traditional powers South Florida, Morehead State and West Georgia.
