Two near-perfect cheer routines over two days brought a national title back to Pullman.
The athletes of the Washington State University cheer team competed at the USA Spirit Nationals/Collegiate Championships on the weekend of February 24, successfully defending their title against New Mexico State University in the four-year large co-ed division.
The competition in Anaheim, California, featured an energized and motivated Coug cheer squad performing acrobatic moves and shouting cheers in sync. One very small deduction kept them from a perfect score.
The USA Collegiate Championships bring community colleges and four-year institutions from throughout the United States and abroad to compete in cheer, dance, and mascot. Nearly 1,000 collegiate athletes compete in nearly 15 divisions.
Dancing to the top 10
The Crimson Girls of Washington State University placed seventh in Division 1A Jazz of the 2023 UCA and UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championships. Held in January at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports at Lake Buena Vista, Florida, this is the fifth time since 2018 the team has made it to finals. In 2020 the team placed third, the highest in program history. Dance head coach Payton Ibos is in her first year leading the Crimson Girls. She is also director of spirit programs at WSU.
