2:10 p.m., Jan. 4, 2011----University of Delaware spirit teams -- the cheerleading squad, dance team and YoUDee mascot team -- are preparing for the 2011 Universal Cheerleaders Association Collegiate National Cheerleading and Dance Team Championships to be held Jan. 14-16 in Orlando, Fla.

THIS STORY

E-mail

Print

Twitter

The teams will give the campus community a chance to see their national competition routines during a special event to be held at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 11, in Gym 1 of the Carpenter Sports Building on North Central Campus.

Each spirit team qualified for the national championships after submitting an entry tape that demonstrated their skills.

UD's cheerleading team qualified for nationals by taking first in the Division I category over Morehead (Ky.) State University by 0.8 points. It was the first time that the cheerleading team finished first in Division I and earned the Blue Hens a paid bid to the competition.

YoUDee also earned a paid bid to nationals by placing first out of 18 mascots in the open division.

The mascot team's video can be seen here.

The UD Dance Team finished third in its division, earning a partially paid national bid as well as the chance to defend its two-year winning streak in the hip hop event.

Photo by Kathy Atkinson