Davenport University takes home title of Varsity Division National Champion
Loomis, Calif., May 6, 2019 – USA Cheer, the governing body for cheer in the U.S., held its 2019 College STUNT National Championship in the Lloyd Noble Center on the campus of the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla. on May 4 and 5, 2019.
Oklahoma State University defeated Michigan State University in the Open Division I Finals. Texas Tech University and Cal Poly also competed in Division I. Davenport University beat Alma College in the Open Division II/III Finals. Other schools in that division were Oklahoma Baptist University (DII), and Vanguard University (NAIA). The Davenport University Panthers took top honors over Oklahoma State University in the final bracket where the top Varsity teams from each division competed for title of Varsity Division National Champion.
“We were so impressed with the level of talent at our ninth College STUNT National Championship,” says Lauri Harris, 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. “From the strategy of the coaches to the athletic excellence of the athletes, this was an amazing demonstration of the sport of STUNT.”
Lindsay Bracken, Head Coach of the Division I Champion Oklahoma State University team agreed, adding, “I’m really proud of my girls, they put in a lot of effort. We surprisingly have a lot of new team members and they bought into the process, worked really hard and were up to the standard that I expected. This was a really exciting championship for this young team.”
The athlete experience is a key element to the success of STUNT. “I’m so proud of my team and to be a Davenport Panther. STUNT is such a great experience,” said Lucy Tibbetts, a sophomore at Davenport University, the Division II/III Champion. “We are truly a family and that’s why we could come here and accomplish so much. Our coaches are amazing and the encouragement they give us pushed us to be our very best.”
STUNT, the new varsity sport derived from cheerleading launched by USA Cheer, is in its ninth season at the college level and fifth for high school. More than 100 colleges have participated in STUNT since 2011, and more than 200 high schools from nine states have participated, making STUNT the fastest growing female sport in the country. Developed to meet the requirements of a sport under Title IX, STUNT takes the athletic skills of cheerleading— partner stunts, jumps, tumbling and pyramids —and creates a full, hour-long format that challenges teams in head-to-head competition.
The 2019 College STUNT National Championship was streamed on FloCheer. To learn more about the STUNT National Championship, visit STUNTthesport.org, or contact Sheila Noone, media@usacheer.org.
About USA Cheer
The USA Federation for Sport Cheering is a not-for-profit organization and is the governing body for all disciplines of cheerleading. USA Cheer exists to serve the entire cheer community, including club cheering (All Star), traditional school-based cheer programs and the new sport of STUNT. USA Cheer has three primary objectives: help grow and develop interest and participation in Cheer throughout the United States; promote safety and safety education for cheer in the United States; and represent the United States of America in international cheer competitions.