One of the hardest-working spirit programs in the country remained near the top of the Division IA chart Sunday at the 2012 College Cheerleading and Dance National Championships. UCF’s cheerleaders finished third at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports, while the KnightMoves dance team recorded ninth.
With its third-place showing, the Black and Gold has now earned a top-three finish in each of the past six seasons. That includes a national title in 2007, while the Knights also were named the national champions in 2003. This year, UCF completed the evening ranked behind only Kentucky and Alabama.
UCF also has placed in the top-10 of the College Cheerleading and Dance National Championships 17 times in the last 19 years under head coach Linda Gooch.
In the Division IA hip hop dance competition, KnightMoves grabbed ninth for the second-straight year. Memphis took home the title, while only LSU, Cincinnati, Tennessee, UNLV, Florida State, Arizona State and Kentucky finished ahead of UCF.