Kentucky Cheerleading Wins Record 21st National Championship

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky cheerleading program continued its dominance of the cheerleading world on Sunday night by claiming its 21st national championship at the HP Fieldhouse on the campus of ESPN’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Fla. 

“I am extremely proud of this team,” UK head coach Jomo Thompson said. “They put in a lot of hard work all year to win this championship. It was an intense competition, and I am thrilled that we were able to get the win.”

The Wildcats finished ahead of Central Florida, who claimed second place, and the Alabama Crimson Tide, who took the last podium spot in the 2016 competition. Sunday night marked the fourth national title for the Wildcats this decade, after claiming the title in 2010,2012, 2014 and now 2016.

Kentucky won eight straight national titles from 1995 to 2002 before finishing second in 2003. The Wildcats then won three straight from 2004 to 2006, falling short in 2007 with a third-place finish. Since Kentucky won its first title in 1985, it has won in 1987, 1988, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016 more than any other Division 1A school.

The cheerleading team will be honored for their 21st national title on Saturday afternoon in Rupp Arena during the men’s basketball game vs. Vanderbilt at 4 p.m. ET. The game will be shown live on ESPN, the ESPN app, and WatchESPN. 

Kentucky Dance Team Takes Fifth in Hip Hop, Seventh in Pom | Watch Performance: http://youtu.be/KTWjRLoThyk

The Kentucky Dance team also had a great weekend in the sunshine state, collecting a fifth-place finish in the Hip Hip dance portion of the evens, and a seventh-place finish in the Division I Pom dance category. 

“Although we had a couple of mishaps of our performances tonight, I am so proud of the girls,” UK Dance Team coach Dawn Walters said. “We were second in Hip Hop by eight tenths of a point and fifth in Pom going into the finals tonight, but the crowd witnessed a team that just wouldn’t give up tonight. When we had our fall, the girls kept on going, and they didn’t miss a beat. They’re fighters, and we will keep pushing.”

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