DAVENPORT, Iowa – Oklahoma City University stood third place in the cheerleading standings after the first day of the NAIA competitive cheerleading & dance championships Friday at Lee Lohman Arena.
The Stars held sixth place in the dance preliminary standings. The prelim scores count 25 percent towards the final standings, while the finals scores will count 75 percent.
The cheer finals begin 10 a.m., and the dance finals start 12:15 p.m. Saturday. The national champions will be crowned 2:25 p.m. Saturday.
Among the cheer teams, the Stars posted a score of 79.65. Since competitive cheer became a recognized sport by the NAIA, Oklahoma City has been national champion in 2017 and national runner-up in 2018. Concordia (Mich.) took the early lead with an 82.28.
"We had a great day one performance and are looking to improve on some things tomorrow," OCU cheerleading coach Alicia Bailey said. "We know we have to hit and be very clean to move up in the standings."
In the dance prelims, Oklahoma City produced a score of 71.33. Midland (Neb.) turned in an 85.92 for the top score of day one.
"I think that the nerves got to us, but we're ready to take what the judges say and be ready for tomorrow," OCU pom/dance coach Tasha Hinex said.
NAIA Championships
Preliminary Standings
At Davenport, Iowa
Lee Lohman Arena
CHEERLEADING
1. Concordia (Mich.), 82.28
2. St. Ambrose (Iowa), 80.95
3. Oklahoma City, 79.65
4. Missouri Valley, 77.70
5. Central Methodist (Mo.), 75.15
6. Lourdes (Ohio), 72.78
7. Saint Francis (Ind.), 70.77
8. Indiana Wesleyan, 68.03
9. Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.), 67.75
10. Cumberlands (Ky.), 67.13
11. Aquinas (Mich.), 66.70
12. Mobile (Ala.), 61.63
DANCE
1. Midland (Neb.), 85.92
2. St. Ambrose (Iowa), 82.08
3. Aquinas (Mich.), 76.75
4. Morningside (Iowa), 73.83
5. Baker (Kan.), 72.25
6. Oklahoma City, 71.33
7. Mount Mercy (Iowa), 69.25
8. Siena Heights (Mich.), 69.08
9. Point Park (Pa.), 68.92
10. Grand View (Iowa), 64.83
11. Doane (Neb.), 57.92
12. Loyola (La.), 50.00
Stars collect six NAIA scholar-athlete honors
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The NAIA bestowed scholar-athlete acclaim upon six Oklahoma City University spirit squad student-athletes.
OCU cheerleader Sarah Todd became a two-time scholar-athlete. Other cheer scholar-athletes were Ashton Beier and Broderick McQuarters, while Stars' pom/dance team members MaKenzi Fox, Molly Hodgden and Andrea Strickler earned the nod.
Hodgden, a senior from Norman, Okla., boasts of a 3.89 cumulative grade-point average majoring in math education. Fox, a junior from Moore, Okla., owns a 3.84 GPA studying accounting, while Strickler, a junior from Olathe, Kan., has produced a 3.60 GPA pursuing a bachelor of fine arts in acting.
McQuarters, a junior from Tulsa, Okla., has forged a 3.55 GPA working towards a bachelor of music in instrumental performance, and Todd, a senior from Bridge Creek, Okla., has racked up a GPA of 3.55 in the political science curriculum. Beier, a junior from Oklahoma City, has a 3.54 GPA in the nursing school.
In order to be nominated by an institution's head coach or sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and must have achieved junior academic status.
