NAIA Champions Xavier University of Louisiana Competitive Cheer takes another title, 准备好卫冕冠军

Xavier University of Louisiana’s (XULA) Competitive Cheer Team is pressing forward, 担心什么, 捍卫自己的头衔! 在周六, 1月29日, 2023, Xavier University’s Cheer Team placed first in the Life University Classic and Life Duals tournament. 现在, the Cheer Team is set on defending their victory in the largest National Association of Intercollegiate 体育运动 (NAIA) Cheer and Dance Competition of 2023. 在e世博esball·齐尔的主场举办, the Xavier University of Louisiana Convocation Center, the Xavier Cheer Team swept the competition during the Battle in the Big Easy and has, 这是连续第三年了, qualified to compete at the NAIA National Competition. Xavier will compete on March 10-11, 2023, as the defending champion.

直接出了大门, XULA Cheer trounced the competition on day one of Battle in the Big Easy on February 8, 2023, 破纪录的98分.6 points against Concordia, Michigan. XULA之前的记录是96.3 in an NAIA Unaffiliated Group Championship meet that was held on February 19, 2022. Concordia, the 2019 NAIA national champion, scored 92.6.  Xavier University of Louisiana Competitive Cheer handed the Concordia Cheer Team its first loss of the season out of 18.

On 2月11日星期六, Xavier University of Louisiana produced another top-of-the-mountain score to win an NAIA unaffiliated group qualifying meet for the third consecutive year. The championship also resulted in a third straight automatic berth for Xavier Cheer to compete at the NAIA nationals. Xavier University of Louisiana’s final score, based on 25% of its first-round score and 75% of its second-round score, 是97.72.

Dillard University was second with 75.44 points and Montreat placed third with 46.97.

Xavier Cheer on their home turf produced the top three final scores in the program's four-year history. 97年.72 point total from February 11 became XULA Cheer’s second-highest final score, 周五, 2月10日, the Cheer Team scored its third-highest total of 96.7所学校击败了其他6所学校. XULA is 19-0 this season and 52-0 since the start of 2022.

"Battle in the Big Easy as easily become a staple in NAIA Cheer and Dance- we are happy to have hosted so many great programs from across the country. 当然, bringing home another Regional Title is rewarding and certainly a joy; what is even more fulfilling is seeing the 200+ athletes from various regions enjoy our beautiful campus and city,” said Head Cheer Coach and Xavier Social Justice and Inclusion Officer, 格伦·卡斯顿. “随着我们进入全国赛, XULA Cheer will refocus on what is most important - ensuring our athletes are equipped and prepared to defend their well-earned title as National Champions.”

Caston was recognized in 2022 as the NAIA’s 2021-2022 Coach of the year, 不久之后, The NAIA coaching body voted to award Caston a two-year term position as the vice president of the NAIA Cheer Coaches Association. With his guidance, the Xavier Competitive Cheer Team has flourished and conquered.

Xavier’s Cheer Team has had a history-making and record-breaking year, winning the 2022年全美航空协会啦啦队冠军 with the highest point total in the event’s history. The 6th Annual NAIA Competitive Cheer National Championship featured 15 teams from across the country, and the Xavier University of Louisiana Cheer Team stole the show! Xavier was the first Historically Black 大学 and University (HBCU) to take the title and the Cheer Team brought Xavier University of Louisiana its first championship win in the NAIA. In 2021, their first year qualifying for nationals, the Xavier Cheer Team took fifth place.

As the first HBCU to take the national title, the recognition does not stop at Xavier University, but resounds at HBCU programs worldwide and in the hearts of the next generation.

“Our athletes are models for the young three-year-old cheerleader who doesn’t know what she’s doing out there; she’s just shaking her pom poms out there at the Mardi gras parade,Caston告诉WWL. “但(然后)她看到了别的东西. She sees an athlete, who [can make her] say, ‘wait, what was that she did? 我来试试!’”

The strong determination and talent of the Xavier Cheer Team, 由总教练卡斯顿带领, continue forward to groundbreaking cheer history.