The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Cheerleaders, Rebelettes Reach National Finals
1/20/2010 | Athletics
ORLANDO, Fla. -- For the second straight year, the Ole Miss spirit groups reached the finals in multiple categories at the UCA/UDA College National Championships over the weekend at the Walt Disney World Resort.
The Rebel cheerleaders finished 12th in the nation for the second year in a row. The Rebelettes improved on their 17th place finish in the jazz division in 2009 with a ninth-place performance, while the team just missed the finals in hip hop.
"As coaches, we encouraged the girls to use that frustration and emotion of not making finals in hip hop and put it all into the jazz routine, and they did just that," said Amanda Hoppert, Ole Miss' Coordinator of Spirit Groups.
Using a jazz routine by choreographer Katie Fear for the first time, the Rebelettes registered the first top-10 finish at nationals by an Ole Miss spirit group in recent memory.
"They only took 14 of the 26 teams to finals, so we were excited that we were ranked 11th after semis in jazz," said Rebelette Coach Carley Russell Cryer. "We knew we had to perform with that same intensity the next day, and the girls certainly did. On Friday night as they handed out the trophies, we were so excited when they called us for ninth place."
The cheerleaders placed among the top 15 for the third straight year, despite stronger competition than in previous years.
"This year's team was young and less experienced than last year's team, but they were one of the closest teams I have coached since I have been at Ole Miss," Hoppert said. "They encouraged each other, so I knew they could do well if they just calmed their nerves. The competition was tougher this year, so we were excited to get 12th and perform as well as we did."
The Southeastern Conference was well represented with five teams in the cheer finals including Kentucky, who won its record 18th title. Alabama finished second and LSU fourth. Mississippi State also joined Ole Miss in the finals on Sunday.
Highlights from the UCA/UDA College Nationals will debut on ESPN in mid-February.