Perennial National Champs Embody Spirit of UK

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 7, 2014) — Strike up a conversation with a student on the University of Kentucky campus, or anyplace where alumni of UK are gathered and you are almost certain to come away with a sense of the tremendous spirit and pride that Wildcats take in their school. That spirit and striving for excellence is exemplified by the UK Cheerleaders and UK Dance Team, who help to spur on Wildcat basketball, football and other varsity athletics teams during games and who also know a thing or two about competition themselves.

Just over six weeks ago, the UK Cheerleaders captured their 20th national championship trophy at the annual Universal Cheer Association/Universal Dance Association (UCA/UDA) College Championships at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.  In fact, the Wildcats have won 16 of the past 20 titles, while finishing second in each of the other four years. The Wildcats' head coach is Jomo Thompson, who has been at the helm for eight of the squad's titles, while longtime cheerleading advisor T. Lynn Williamson has been a part of every one of the national crowns.

Watch a video to see how much hard work the UK cheerleaders put into preparing for Nationals last year. 

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Video by UK Public Relations and Marketing.To view captions for this video, push play and click on the CC icon in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. If using a mobile device, click on the "thought bubble" in the same area.

"I'm just fortunate to have been a part of this program for so long and I love UK," said Thompson, himself a former cheerleader for the Cats. "The 2014 championship is the culmination of a year of hard work. We had a seven-member senior class that was intent on going out the right way. Those veterans played an instrumental role in setting the tone for our training."

Williamson added, "I love UK cheerleading and am so glad to be able to experience it with the kids. We strive every day to be the best. It's just a wonderful thing to be a part of this history and tradition."

"Winning the national title means so much," said Juliet McCreary, a junior on this year's UK cheer championship team.  "Not only did we bring home the title for ourselves, but also for the alumni and fans, which makes the Big Blue Nation proud."

The championship capped off a great cheerleading career for senior Ryan Heinrich.

"This year at practice you could feel the intensity and the will to prepare when you stepped through the door. We strived really hard to keep that consistent state of mind.  It feels great going out on top."

The UK Dance Team, coached by former Wildcat cheerleader Dawn Walters, a member of the first two Kentucky national cheer title teams, is building a program which is contending for UDA national championships on a regular basis.
 

The dance team turned in an impressive performance in the top division of the Hip Hop finals, placing fifth while posting its best-ever score.

"Our degree of difficulty was higher this year due to our continued work on full team hip hop skills and partner work," Walters said.  "I am very proud of this team and anticipate a bright future."

Senior Christie Horan, a dance team captain together with Alex Hughes and Alex Poole who also are both seniors, said, "The past four years on the UK Dance Team have been a dream come true. We are so proud to be a part of such a thriving program and are so happy to be a part of its growth."

Hughes said it is gratifying to be considered among the elite competitors at nationals. "Each year we work so hard to do better than the year before, and we won't stop until we've won the championship."

In addition to keeping the crowd energized at UK sports events, both the UK Cheerleaders and UK Dance Team make a number of other public appearances on behalf of the school.  Members of both teams serve an invaluable role as goodwill ambassadors, together with the UK mascots, Wildcat and Scratch, and the UK Pep Band.

March Madness is here and the spirit of the Wildcats will be on display for both the men's and women's basketball teams. GO CATS!

MEDIA CONTACT:  Carl Nathe, 859-257-3200/ carl.nathe@uky.edu.