University of Delaware Athletics
Delaware Cheerleaders to Compete in College STUNT National Championships this Week
4/27/2016 10:19:00 PM | Delaware Athletics
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The University of Delaware cheerleading team has headed West and will be one of just eight teams competing in the 2016 College STUNT National Championships this week.
The event, which includes dual meet competition between the teams leading up to the championship match, will be held on Thursday, Apr. 28 and Friday, Apr. 29 at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. The championship will be live streamed on ESPN 3 on April 29 at www.espn.go.com.
Top seed Delaware is joined in the Division I championships by Oklahoma State University, Sacramento State University, and Hofstra University. The Division II field includes Davenport University, Alma College, University of Central Oklahoma, and Oklahoma Baptist University.
"We're proud of the hard work our team has shown throughout the year and we are excited to have finished the regular season undefeated and ranked first in Division I,” said first-year STUNT head coach Ashley Cormier, who will take a squad of 32 cheerleaders to the event. “The team has continued to improve throughout the season with the leadership of our eight seniors."
Women's STUNT, the new varsity sport derived from cheerleading launched by USA Cheer, has just finished its sixth season at the college level and third for high school. More than 50 colleges have participated and high schools from more than 10 states have participated, making STUNT the fastest growing girls sport in the country. Developed to meet the requirements of a sport under Title IX, STUNT takes the athletic skills of cheerleading—like jumps, stunts and tumbling—and creates a full, hour-long format that challenges teams to head-to-head competition.
Thirty-three colleges competed in STUNT's this season, taking part in games from California to Delaware. More than 40 games were held between February and April, an increase over the 2015 season.
“We are thrilled for our all-girl squad to head out to California to compete for the STUNT National Championship,” said Delaware Athletics Spirit Coordinator and Head Cheer Coach Rob Ellery. “The team has an incredible senior class that leads a resilient group of underclassmen into the championship. Ashley (Cormier) has a tremendous amount of all-girl stunt experience, which has been a major key to the team's success this season.”
“We are excited to host these excellent teams at our sixth National Championship in California,” says Ronnie Carter, Executive Director of USA Cheer, which developed the format of STUNT in collaboration with cheerleading experts, women's sports experts and coaches from colleges and universities with long histories of cheerleading excellence. “The coaches and the athletes have shown remarkable skill and a dedication to the sport.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Scott Selheimer | selheime@udel.edu | Office: 302-831-8007 | Cell: 302-562-5129
