Tag Archives: Morgan State University

The College Stunt Association Announces Inaugural All Americans

Memphis, Tenn., (June 1, 2011) – The College STUNT Association, under the leadership of USA Cheer, has announced their All Americans for their inaugural STUNT season. All Americans were chosen by a committee of coaches from various regions along with two STUNT officials.

A new competitive team sport that has derived from traditional cheerleading, STUNT removes the crowd-leading and focuses on the technical and athletic components of cheer, which include the partner stunts, pyramids, basket tosses, jumps and tumbling skills. STUNT has been designed with the goal of being considered for NCAA Emerging Sport status and to ultimately satisfy Title IX’s requirements for intercollegiate sport.

Coaches from the 22 teams that participated in the first season of STUNT were invited to nominate two athletes from their teams to be All Americans. Nominees for All Americans needed to exhibit superior skills and techniques as well as good game sense and knowledge of STUNT, and be in good academic standing. They also needed to have participated in at least half of the games or tournaments for at least 50 percent of the routine.

“We were extremely impressed with the athleticism of these first ever STUNT All Americans,” says Bill Seely, Executive Director of USA Cheer. “They played a major role in the success of their teams and presented our new sport with dignity and grace.”

Twenty All Americans were chosen for the 2011 season of STUNT, along with eight Honorable Mentions. More information can be found on http://collegestunt.org.

2010-11 STUNT All-American Team

  • Aisha Brandon (Senior) – University of Louisville
  • Stacey Bryner (Senior) – North Carolina State University
  • Samantha Carlton (Junior) – Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo
  • Gabriela Cisneros (Junior) – University of Florida
  • Heather Costa (Senior) – Framingham State University
  • Ashley Cottrell (Junior) – Morgan State University
  • Janee Demery (Senior) – Georgia Southern University
  • Courtney Fernandez (Senior) – Methodist University
  • Natalie Finney (Junior) – Oklahoma State University
  • Jenna Fischer (Senior) – University of Georgia
  • Dani Keathley (Freshman) – Sam Houston State University
  • Ashley Lanphere (Senior) – North Carolina State University
  • Nicole Legere (Freshman) – Framingham State University
  • Lauren Lock (Senior) – Texas A&M
  • Amanda Ross (Sophomore) – Morgan State University
  • Felicia Rousseau (Sophomore) – Stonehill College
  • Nicole Shaw (Junior) – Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo
  • Lindsey Sitzlar (Senior) – University of Louisville
  • Madison Thibault (Senior) – Slippery Rock University
  • Kayla Wheatley (Senior) – Georgia Southern University

2010-11 STUNT All-American Team Honorable Mentions

  • Ciara Auringer (Junior) – University of Georgia
  • Chastity Chapman (Freshman) – Methodist University
  • Ashley Daignault (Freshman) – University of Central Oklahoma
  • Andrea Dearing (Sophomore) – Sam Houston State University
  • Ashley Engelbert (Freshman) – University of Florida
  • Amanda Estes (Freshman) – University of Central Oklahoma
  • Amy Haraden (Senior) – Stonehill College
  • Lexie Novosad (Freshman) – Oklahoma State University

About STUNT

A total of 22 teams participated in the inaugural season of STUNT this year and plans are already underway for the 2012 season. The STUNT season began in January 2011, and culminated with the National Championship in Daytona Beach following the NCA Collegiate Cheerleading Championship. Additional teams that participated in games this season include Methodist University, Adams State College, California Baptist University, University of Central Oklahoma, Morehead State University, Oklahoma State University, Sam Houston State University, San Diego State University, Slippery Rock University, Stonehill College, Temple University, Texas A & M University, University of Georgia, University of Florida, University of North Carolina and West Virginia University.

About the Format

STUNT follows a game format with four quarters, including a short half time. These quarters include Partner Stunts, Group Jumps & Tumbling, Pyramids & Tosses, and Team Performance. Players wear uniforms that identify them by number. Within each quarter, teams perform skill sequences of varying levels of difficulty, technical execution and synchronization. The fourth quarter is the “Team Performance” which allows teams to incorporate their entire team’s arsenal into a choreographed routine. Two to six teams compete simultaneously in head-to-head competition.

Cheerleaders, coaches, and parents can visit http://collegestunt.org to learn more about STUNT, the College STUNT Association and its initiatives.

About USA Cheer

The USA Federation for Sport Cheering is a not-for profit organization and is the national governing body for all disciplines of cheerleading. USA Cheer exists to serve the entire cheer community, including club cheering (All Star), traditional school based cheer programs and the new sport of “STUNT.” USA Cheer has three primary objectives: help grow and develop interest and participation in Cheer throughout the United States; promote safety and safety education for cheer in the United States; and represent the United States of America in international cheer competitions.

For more information, contact Sheila Noone at 901-251-5959.

The College Stunt Association Announces Inaugural All Americans

Louisville Powers to First Stunt National Champion Title at Inaugural Stunt National Championship in Daytona Beach

Six collegiate teams competed in the first-ever STUNT National Championship; Next step for new sport is NCAA Emerging Sport Status application.

Memphis, Tenn. (April 13, 2011)- The University of Louisville emerged victorious at the inaugural STUNT National Championship this past weekend, with a score of 48 points followed by NC State with 32. USA Cheer, the national governing body for all forms of cheerleading, hosted the first STUNT National Championship this past weekend in Daytona Beach, FL. The STUNT National Championship capped off the first season for the new sport, which will be applying for NCAA Emerging Sport Status this June.

The six collegiate teams that competed in the final event of the season were Framingham State College, Georgia Southern University, Morgan State University, North Carolina State University, University of Louisville and Cal Poly. Full coverage of the event can be seen on http://collegestunt.org.

“STUNT was an excellent addition for the University of Louisville sports roster this year. We were thrilled to be a part of the inaugural National STUNT Championship and to take home the first National Champion title,” says Misty Hodges, coach of the winning University of Louisville STUNT team. “Our school has been incredibly supportive and we hope this will indeed reach emerging sport status with the NCAA.”

A new competitive team sport that has derived from traditional cheerleading, STUNT removes the crowd-leading and focuses on the technical and athletic components of cheer, which include the partner stunts, pyramids, basket tosses, jumps and tumbling skills. STUNT has been designed with the goal of being considered for NCAA Emerging Sport status and to ultimately satisfy Title IX’s requirements for intercollegiate sport.

A total of 22 teams participated in the inaugural season of STUNT this year and plans are already underway for the 2012 season. The STUNT season began in January 2011, and culminated with the National Championship in Daytona Beach following the NCA Collegiate Cheerleading Championship. Additional teams that participated in games this season include Methodist University, Adams State College, California Baptist University, University of Central Oklahoma, Morehead State University, Oklahoma State University, Sam Houston State University, San Diego State University, Slippery Rock University, Stonehill College, Temple University, Texas A & M University, University of Georgia, University of Florida, University of North Carolina and West Virginia University.

USA Cheer plans to present STUNT to the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics this June to be considered an official NCAA emerging sport. “The first STUNT season has been a huge success, well received by teams, schools and fans. The competitive spirit and fan support at the events is evidence that STUNT is becoming increasingly popular and important in communities across the country,” said USA Cheer Executive Director, Bill Seely.

There are several additional schools considering the addition of STUNT to their sports rosters for 2012. STUNT provides new opportunities for the more than one million traditional and all star cheerleaders of high school age in the United States that are looking to utilize their talents and skills at the college level in a varsity sport format.

Cheerleaders, coaches, and parents can visit www.collegestunt.org to learn more about STUNT, the College STUNT Association and its initiatives.

About the Format

STUNT follows a game format with four quarters, including a short half time. These quarters include Partner Stunts, Group Jumps & Tumbling, Pyramids & Tosses, and Team Performance. Players wear uniforms that identify them by number.

Within each quarter, teams perform skill sequences of varying levels of difficulty, technical execution and synchronization. The fourth quarter is the “Team Performance” which allows teams to incorporate their entire team’s arsenal into a choreographed routine. Two to six teams compete simultaneously in head-to-head competition.

About USA Cheer

The USA Federation for Sport Cheering is a not-for profit organization and is the national governing body for all disciplines of cheerleading. USA Cheer exists to serve the entire cheer community, including club cheering (All Star), traditional school based cheer programs and the new sport of “STUNT.” USA Cheer has three primary objectives: help grow and develop interest and participation in Cheer throughout the United States; promote safety and safety education for cheer in the United States; and represent the United States of America in international cheer competitions.

For more information, contact Sheila Noone at 901-251-5959.

USA Cheer – Stunt Championship Press Release

NCA, NCATA, & Stunt 2011 National Championships

NCA College Nationals is this week in Daytona Beach, FL, with team competition days being Thursday, April 7th and Friday, April 8th.

The Inaugural Stunt National Championship will take place on Saturday, April 9th, also in Daytona Beach. Louisville and North Carolina State have advanced straight to finals and will compete against the top 2 teams from the preliminary round match between Cal Poly State, Framingham State, Georgia Southern, and Morgan State

The Inaugural NCATA National Championship will take place in Eugene, OR this weekend. The host, Oregon, is the top seed and has earned an opening round bye along with the second seed, Maryland. Round One, featuring Azusa Pacific versus Quinnipiac and Baylor versus Fairmont State will take place on Thursday, Round Two on Friday, and the National Champion will be crowned on Saturday.

USA Cheer: Cheer’s New Sport “Stunt” Reaches Major Milestone for NCAA Emerging Sport Status (Updated)

Georgia State University is the 21st team to join the emerging sport initiative.

Memphis, Tenn. (October 2010) – USA Cheer, the national governing body (NGB) for all forms of cheerleading, is pleased to announce that 21 universities have now committed to instituting “Stunt” as a spring sport for 2011.

Stunt, a new competition sport designed to be considered for NCAA Emerging Sport status, launched in September and has also been tailored to follow Title IX’s requirements for intercollegiate sport.

To qualify as an emerging sport, there must be 20 or more varsity teams and/or competitive teams that currently exist on college campuses in that sport. Securing 21 teams for the 2011 Stunt season ensures that USA Cheer will have sufficient participation to meet this criteria.

“The college community is quickly embracing Stunt,” says Bill Seely, Executive Director of USA Cheer. “The Stunt format is dynamic and challenging, and uses the skill set of cheerleading in an entirely new and exciting way. We are extremely gratified by the positive reaction Stunt has received, and look forward to showcasing the talent of the Stunt athletes.”

There are several additional schools considering the addition of Stunt to their sports rosters in the next few months. Stunt provides opportunities for the more than 800,000 cheerleaders of high school age in the United States that are looking for an athletic opportunity at the college level.

University Teams Participating in Stunt

  • University of Louisville
  • Virginia Commonwealth University
  • University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth
  • California Polytechnic State University
  • Morgan State University
  • University of Memphis
  • Valdosta State University
  • Bridgewater State University
  • University of Georgia Club Team
  • Ohio State University Club Team
  • West Virginia University Club Team
  • Michigan State University Club Team
  • University of Illinois Club Team
  • University of North Carolina Club Team
  • Penn State University
  • North Carolina State University
  • Morehead State University
  • Georgia College and State University
  • Macon State University
  • Methodist University
  • Fredonia State University (beginning with 2012 season)

About USA Cheer

The USA Federation for Sport Cheering is a not-for profit organization and is the national governing body for all disciplines of cheerleading. USA Cheer exists to serve the entire cheer community, including club cheering (All Star), traditional school based cheer programs and the new sport of “Stunt.” USA Cheer has three primary objectives: help grow and develop interest and participation in Cheer throughout the United States; promote safety and safety education for cheer in the United States; and represent the United States of America in international cheer competitions.

Description of Stunt

Each Stunt game will comprise four quarters in the following categories: Partner Stunts, Jumps and Group Tumbling, Tosses and Pyramids, and Team Routine. Within each quarter, teams will perform skill sequences of varying levels of difficulty, technical execution and synchronization. Anyone who follows sports will be able to follow Stunt. Teams compete simultaneously, and the head-to-head format simplifies the scoring process, allowing fans to track the results of the competition as each round is completed. Because of the new format, teams will have records and national rankings, which will determine their post season play, much like other sports. In addition, post season play can be tracked by the fans, much like “March Madness.” For more information on Stunt, visit http://usacheer.net.

About NCAA Emerging Sport Status

NCAA Emerging Sport Status requires a sport to provide additional athletic opportunities for female students, involve physical exertion with the purpose of competition, have standardized rules with a scoring system ratified by a governing body and have regularly scheduled competitions.

About Title IX

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination in educational institutions where the federal government provides financial assistance. Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in athletics in the offering of participation opportunities, athletic benefits and resources, and scholarships.

For more information, contact Sheila Noone at 901-251-5959.

USA Cheer – 22 Teams Press Release

Note – A correction was released stating “Georgia State University has had to withdraw from Stunt for the first year. Attached is the correction to the release.”

USA Cheer – Updated Press Release

USA Cheer Announces an NCAA Emerging Sport Initiative

Cheerleading’s governing body will seek NCAA emerging sport status for “Stunt” format.

Memphis, Tenn. (September 2010) – USA Cheer, the national governing body (NGB) for all forms of cheerleading, has released a new competition sport designed to be considered for NCAA Emerging Sport status.  “Stunt,” which is descriptive of the athletic skills pulled from traditional cheerleading, has also been tailored to follow Title IX’s requirements for intercollegiate sport. Stunt demonstrates clear differences from traditional cheerleading and offers exciting new opportunities for a wider range of participants. It will be a spring sport, with a required eight regulation games during its inaugural season with a final tournament in Daytona Beach in April of 2011.

“One of our top priorities is that Stunt develops on its own merits and not at the expense of traditional cheerleading or other female sports,” said USA Cheer executive director Bill Seely.  “While Stunt has roots in traditional cheerleading, this new sport is completely fresh and has an entirely new structure.”

The Women’s Sports Foundation, long a proponent for female athletes, supports the efforts of USA Cheer. “The Women’s Sports Foundation applauds USA Cheer and the cheerleading community for taking steps to create and launch Stunt, a new competitive team sport which provides increased athletic and educational opportunities for young women,” says Nancy Hogshead-Makar, Senior Director of Advocacy for the Women’s Sports Foundation. “This new sport is derived from the skills and techniques of traditional cheerleading. The Foundation supports the establishment of Stunt as an NCAA Emerging Sport and looks forward to its successful implementation at colleges and universities across the country.”

Fifteen collegiate teams have committed to the new sport for the 2011 season, and several more have it under consideration. “Many of the exciting athletic elements that are typically part of traditional cheerleading competitions have been included in this emerging sport”, said Linda Gooch, head coach of the University of Central Florida Spirit Program. “I am in favor of any change that will expand or enhance educational and athletic opportunities for young people.”

“Stunt is a tremendous opportunity for young athletes to apply the athletic skills derived from cheerleading in a pure and exciting competition format, and for schools across the country to offer this new varsity sport,”  added Todd Sharp, spirit coordinator of the University of Louisville cheerleading program. “The University of Louisville takes great pride in our spirit programs and the valuable service they provide to our athletic teams, university family and community and, we also take pride in the athleticism of our team members.”

Stunt provides additional opportunities for the more than 800,000 cheerleaders in the United States.  “This new collegiate sport that USA Cheer has created will be a great opportunity for college scholarships for our athletes,” says Jim Chadwick, President of the United States All Star Federation, the governing body for club cheerleading. “We believe this will be an exciting new outlet for those who have grown up in the cheer disciplines.”

Description of Stunt

Each Stunt game will comprise four quarters in the following categories: Partner Stunts, Jumps and Group Tumbling, Tosses and Pyramids, and Team Routine.  Within each quarter, teams will perform skill sequences of varying levels of difficulty, technical execution and synchronization.  Anyone who follows sports will be able to follow Stunt. Teams compete simultaneously, and the head-to-head format simplifies the scoring process, allowing fans to track the results of the competition as each round is completed. Because of the new format, teams will have records and national rankings, which will determine their post season play, much like other sports. In addition, post season play can be tracked by the fans, much like “March Madness.” For more information on Stunt, visit http://usacheer.net.

Download the Stunt Handbook

University Teams Participating in Stunt

  • University of Louisville
  • Virginia Commonwealth University
  • University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth
  • California Polytechnic State University
  • Morgan State University
  • Fredonia State University
  • University of Memphis
  • Valdosta State University
  • Bridgewater State University
  • University of Georgia Club Team
  • Ohio State University Club Team
  • West Virginia University Club Team
  • Michigan State University Club Team
  • University of Illinois Club Team
  • University of North Carolina Club Team

About USA Cheer

The USA Federation for Sport Cheering is a not-for profit organization and is the national governing body for all disciplines of cheerleading. USA Cheer exists to serve the entire cheer community, including club cheering (All Star), traditional school based cheer programs and the new sport of “Stunt.” USA Cheer has three primary objectives: help grow and develop interest and participation in Cheer throughout the United States; promote safety and safety education for cheer in the United States; and represent the United States of America in international cheer competitions.

About NCAA Emerging Sport Status

NCAA Emerging Sport Status requires a sport to provide additional athletic opportunities for female students, involve physical exertion with the purpose of competition, have standardized rules with a scoring system ratified by a governing body and have regularly scheduled competitions.

About Title IX

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 describes the federal commitment to equal gender treatment where the federal government provides financial assistance. Title IX prohibits gender discrimination in recruitment, educational programs, activities, financial aid, counseling, athletics, employment assistance, and other school functions.

For more information, contact Sheila Noone at 901-251-5959.

USA Cheer Announces an NCAA Emerging Sport Initiative