HONOLULU—The University of Hawai`i cheerleading team travels to Orlando, Fla. this week to compete in the 2011 Universal Cheerleaders Association Collegiate National Championships, January 14-16 at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Milk House on the grounds of DisneyWorld. The Championship will be televised on ESPN in February.

 

Hawai`i enters the competion as the top seed from the West Region after their qualification video earned them the No. 1 seed. The first-place ranking advances UH straight into the finals.

 

Last year, the 'Bows were a very young squad with 10 newcomers and just three returnees who had ever competed in nationals previously. Yet, they finished a strong eighth place in the 2010 Championships and laid a solid foundation for the future. Now, with a year of experience under their belts, the 2010-11 team is ready and poised to make a statement in Orlando. Hawai`i has been a perennial power over the past decade, always placing in the Top 10—finishing as high as third place in 2001 and '05. UH's trademark has been their innovative stunts and intricate, dynamic routines.

 

Teams will be rated by a panel of judges on various criteria.

Point breakdown

            50 pts – Crowd participation

                        15: qualification video

                        35: cheer portion of routing performed live

            50 pts – Skills

                        15: stunts

                        15: pyramids

                        5: basket tosses

                        5: tumbling

                        10: overall impression

            100 pts - TOTAL


                                                                                                                           -UH-