North Carolina A&T joined Xavier University of Louisiana as HBCU champions in the National Cheerleaders Association College Nationals. NCAT beat out Stephen F. Austin by a quarter of a point in the Intermediate Small Coed Division I section to secure the title.

 

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“To win feels like a personal reward from God himself,” said NCAT senior co-captain Iycess Hooper. “Through our journey it was far from easy and many tough days, but with God's touch on every inch of our team’s lives, it made it comfortable to go through the storm. We knew what it felt like to be so close to something we’ve dreamed of and never received, so we made it our duty to never feel that again. We pushed through adversity to make a statement  to the world that, ‘Yes it is possible, and yes we can do it too.' Hunger, grit, poise, intentionality, and the power of God is what lead us to this win.”

North Carolina A&T's cheer squad wasn't always full of smiles and appreciation. Last year, the Aggies finished as runner-ups following a crushing defeat in the championship. This time, however, they emerged victorious.

“Winning felt like such a surreal sense of relief because finally we are getting recognized for our hard work and finally it has paid off,” said sophomore co-captain Santana Baker. “The feeling of a dream turning into a reality is unmatched and indescribable. I will say though I never felt more confident hitting the mat thanks to our coach with constant full outs, constant detailed corrections given by ourselves and coach, and most of all the constant want to redeem ourselves and show the nation to not count us out!”

Like her other teammates, senior co-captain Alivia Barrow credited God and her faith for the championship title.

“This win was unlike any win I've ever experienced in my life because God was at the forefront of everything we did,” she said. “We prayed before practice, during practice and after practice. Then we went home and prayed some more. There was never a moment where we did not trust in the Lord and his ability to lead us to victory. We had some long nights together watching film of ourselves, critiquing every section and running stunts until our fingers were raw. But all of it felt worth it when our name was called as the winner. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything and I thank God and my coach for the amazing men and women that were brought together to make dreams a reality.”

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Daniel Kearns-Pickett, the head cheerleading and mascot coach, couldn't stop gushing about his team following the win.

“I'm not really sure how to fully express how I truly feel about this historic win,” he said. “I’m thankful and truly appreciative of God for leading me through the journey, my athletes and university for trusting and believing in my vision, and my family and friends for listening and supporting me every single day. When they announced the 2nd place team and it wasn’t us… I just had to give it all to God. All of our hard work had finally paid off. I was happy to witness smiles and happy tears from my athletes, who I watched pour so much of themselves into this program. The early mornings, late nights, and every sacrifice was worth it…

“We practiced 4 days a week, worked out twice a week, and were very intentional in everything we did. Our program motto is, “Better Than Yesterday”, but this season we put a lot of focus on faith and intentionality. I’m just so ecstatic that my “kids” have this core memory and are forever a part of history. They really did it!”