University of Mobile Cheer headed to Nationals

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - The University of Mobile Cheer team defeated six other programs on February 11th to secure the Southern States Athletic Conference Championship hosted at Pharr Gymnasium.

The Rams won their first SSAC title in 2017 and then tacked on another in 2019 making it coach Whiteis’ third in eight years of coaching.

Whiteis and her squad have advanced to the NAIA Competitive Cheer National Championship taking place right outside of Detroit. With a mature team of veteran cheerleaders, coach Whiteis and the Rams feel confident going into tomorrow.

This is the fifth consecutive trip to the NAIA tournament for the University of Mobile. They competed with their all-girls squad for the SSAC title and this weekend will be no different. They are one of the few squads in the competition with no male cheerleaders on their team. Whiteis says her team has risen to the challenge.

“Our girls just stepped up and took those spots and just seamlessly went in. We were able to execute the routine without any loss of difficulty and I could not be prouder of what they’ve done, and they will be very competitive with the teams that are out there putting two and three and four guys on the mat. A lot of times the guys are the muscle, and these girls are really stepping up and being able to do what the guys have traditionally done.”

Fifteen teams qualified for nationals this year. All the action begins tomorrow, and the finals are on Saturday.

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