OLLU Spirit earns NCA and NDA Bids to Nationals

The OLLU competitive cheer and dance programs both were awarded bids to Nationals in the prior weeks, which will be held in Daytona Beach, Fla., next spring from April 10-14.

This was the third year that OLLU spirit hosted the National Cheer Association (NCA) and National Dance Association (NDA) on campus for the training camp. Head Coach Crystal Brock commented, “Team camp with the NCA and NDA allows our student athletes to be challenged with new skills and become stronger technically as a team. We face many hurdles that encourage students to communicate and serv each other. Last year, in our first NCA nationals’ appearance, we made OLLU proud by representing our campus and community. We want to make history this year and come back with hardware and bragging rights. We are excited for the new year and grateful for all the support.”

Assistant Coach Joe Gonzalez helped Brock prepare for the upcoming training camps. 

The competitive cheer and dance teams will compete in Nationals for the second consecutive year. Both programs have qualified three separate times now, but the COVID pandemic haltered the first year of competition. OLLU spirit will perform at various sporting and community events throughout the upcoming seasons.

Cheer finishes 5th at NCA Nationals

The OLLU competitive cheer team finished in fifth place at the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) College National Championship in Daytona Beach, Fla., from April 6-8.

Head Coach Crystal Brock said, “This year was exactly what we needed to build toward the legacy we are trying to create for OLLU Spirit. Each time our athletes hit the mat, we learned so much about our teams’ strengths and weaknesses.”

The Saints competed in the Intermediate All Girl NAIA section. They had a raw score of 75.83, 16.5 deductions, a performance score of 67.75 and event score of 16.93. Southwestern Christian University took first place with a performance score of 94.47. Spring Arbor University finished second at 86.59, followed by Missouri Baptist University at 86.55 and Texas Wesleyan University at 83.31.

Dance finishes 6th at NDA Nationals

The OLLU competitive dance squad took sixth place out of 11 teams at the National Dance Association (NDA) College National Championship in Daytona Beach, Fla., from April 6-8. 

Head Coach Crystal Brock commented, “The leadership on our team is evident in each athlete. Their dedication and loyalty to one another is the key to all of their success and the legacy they are leaving behind.”

The Saints started the competition with the prelim performance. They had a performance score of 82.32, which ranked sixth out of 11 teams. The top seven teams moved on to the NAIA Team Performance. OLLU totaled 82.85 in the NAIA Team Performance for another sixth place finish.