DeAndre Broach

Southern Miss cheer team

In January, the Southern Miss Cheerleading team achieved 4th place in the Small Coed D1A and 6th place in the Small Coed D1A Gameday. Both results marked the highest finishes in the program’s history.

The finishes were recorded at the UCA & UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship and represented the program’s best results at the national level to date. Southern Miss Cheer competed against collegiate teams from across the country in both divisions.

“Seeing success come this quickly isn’t typical, but these athletes bought in, and their belief is translating to results,” said Cheer coach Ashton Jennings. “We’re proud of the direction this program is heading.”

The UCA & UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship is the most distinguished collegiate competition, held annually in January at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. The competition is organized by Varsity Spirit, which hosts many university teams. Teams must earn a bid to compete, with categories divided into Tiers I, II, and III based on school size and skill. Both cheer and dance perform competitive routines in cheer, stunt, pyramid and tumbling, alongside the GameDay division. GameDay focuses on bringing the atmosphere of a home game to the competition floor, emphasizing crowd interaction and school spirit. Teams compete in preliminary, semi-final, and final rounds. The event is traditionally aired on ESPN platforms.

Teams are scored on multiple criteria, including execution, difficulty, and overall performance. Advancement through each round is determined by cumulative scores, with only the top teams moving on to the final round. Southern Miss Cheer competed in both the traditional cheer and gameday divisions during the championship.

“The last two and a half years have been a whirlwind,” said Jennings. “We invested heavily in the work on the front end with recruiting, completely changing the face of the program, building relationships with alumni and with the community, raising the standards and expectations, and really controlling the process instead of just trusting it.”

The finishes at the national championship reflect changes made within the program over the past several seasons. The Gameday routine summarized the spirit of collegiate athletics while maintaining structured excellence and showcasing Southern Miss traditions. The results add to the program’s competitive record and mark a milestone in Southern Miss Cheer’s history.