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