Vol. 17, No. 2	Sept. 11, 1997

Mascot, cheerleaders earn
top honors at regional camps

As the Blue Hens host the 1997 football season home opener at Delaware Stadium Saturday, Sept. 13, against the Villanova University Wildcats, the award-winning Fightin' Blue Hen mascot and cheerleaders will be on hand to stir up the crowd.

Continuing a tradition, YoUDee, Fightin' Blue Hen mascot and the Delaware cheerleading team won numerous awards at the Universal Cheerleading Association's (UCA) East regional camps, held at Rutgers University Aug. 9-12.

At the UCA Mascot Camp, YoUDee finished in first place from a field of more than 20 that included mascots from Syracuse, Wake Forest and Connecticut.

The mascots were judged on a point system, with scores coming from five different events, involving field walks, two-minute skits and a visit to a local preschool in New Brunswick, N.J.

YoUDee also received the Leadership Award, an honor voted on by peers. The Syracuse Orange took home the Most Collegiate Award.

This is the third time in four years that YoUDee has captured the first-place award for mascots at the UCA camp, and the second year in a row YoUDee has received the Leadership Award.

At the UCA Cheerleading Camp, held at the same time at Rutgers, the University of Delaware cheerleading squad finished first in the Division I level for all three competitions entered: "Cheer," "Sideline" and "Fight Song." Nearly 40 teams attended the UCA Cheerleading Camp.