Bearcat cheer squad goes for third national championship

The Northwest Missouri State University Bearcat Steppers and Cheerleaders both embarked on a familiar journey that began early Thursday morning.

Both squads are competing at the Universal Cheerleading Association and Universal Dance Association Collegiate National Championships this weekend at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla.

The cheerleading squad, led by Spirit Squad Coordinator Jason Sack, will be defending their title as 2012 UCA National Champions. They return with five members that captured championships in both the 2010 and 2012.

Jessie Craddock, Chaz Johnson, John Tye, Brittney Bott and Randi Myers are anxious to get back into the national spotlight.

"At this point the routine is really just muscle memory, so you just have to try your best to relax and have fun with it," Craddock said.

The UCA & UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship is the most prestigious college cheerleading championship in the country and can be seen later this spring on ESPN. Air dates have not yet been set.

Northwest's notorious rival Pittsburg State will compete in their division, but Junior Randi Myers explains that the team's top competitor comes from elsewhere.

"West Georgia is our biggest competition," Myers said. "Before we won in 2010, they won eight years straight. Our skills are harder and we push the envelope more every year, but we both hit perfectly so the better routine will shine in the scores."

The Bearcat Steppers finished sixth in the 2012 Universal Dance Team Association College National Championships. They will be performing both jazz and hip-hop routines this weekend and Captain Haylee Davis feels the team is evenly equipped for each.

"Our goal for this year is to be equally prepared in both," Davis said. "We don't want to be a one-sided school; we'd like to be more well-rounded. We've worked really hard to get them both to the same level."

The steppers perform jazz Saturday morning and hip-hop Saturday afternoon while the cheerleaders compete Saturday evening.