Spirit Squad Holds Sendoff for Nationals

Cheer and Dance Teams ready for UCA/UCD Nationals in Orlando

Jan. 13, 2013

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Jayhawk faithful filled the stands of the Horejsi Family Athletics Center Sunday afternoon backing a different University of Kansas athletics team. The group who usually doles out the support, KU’s spirit squad, was the one being featured this time around.

In one final tune up prior to this upcoming weekend’s 2013 UCA & UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship, the Kansas spirit squad performed its routines in front of hundreds of fans Sunday afternoon. The event began with a reception in the Allen Fieldhouse donor atrium, where fans were able to mingle with their favorite spirit squad members, pose for photographs and obtain autographs.

After a two-year hiatus from the national competition, the Rock Chalk Dancers are looking to become a household name. The squad will enter both the jazz and hip-hop competitions this year.

After a 10^th-place finish in the Division I Cheer Finals in 2012, the KU cheerleaders will once again compete against some of the nation’s elite teams in Orlando this year. The Jayhawks are scheduled to take on cheer squads from the Big 12 and Big Ten Conferences, as well as the SEC, and have set their sights on being top-five in the nation.

Considered by some to be the most prestigious college cheerleading championship in the country, the 2013 Championship will be held Jan. 18 - 20 at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla. Results from the competition will be posted on KUAthletics.com after the event.

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