Feb. 10, 2004
VILLANOVA, PA. -
The Villanova cheerleading squad placed second in the Small Co-ed Division I category at the Universal Cheerleaders Association National Collegiate Championships held at DisneyWorld in Orlando. It is the highest finish ever for the Wildcats and tenth straight year that the team placed in the top 10.
Villanova qualified for the national event through a video qualification, which was judged in several different areas. The Wildcats received a perfect score of 15 in crowd interaction, which featured footage of the cheerleaders at football and basketball games as well as community appearances.
The Wildcats performed a special two-minute, twenty-second routine that included 105 seconds set to music and another 35 seconds of crowd involvement. Villanova's squad was comprised of 12 females and four males.
"I am very excited with our finish," said second-year head coach Phil O'Neill. "I knew back in August that we had a very special team and could do well. I am extremely pleased with how hard they practiced, with the respect they have shown each other, and how well they did scholastically last semester."
Villanova's previous best was a fourth-place spot in 1997. The squad finished eighth in its division in the 2003 competition.
