SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA spirit squads will be represented this week at the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) Collegiate Nationals in Daytona Beach, Fla. Both the cheerleading team and UTSA mascot, Rowdy the Roadrunner, will be performing at the Ocean Center and competing for national titles, April 5-9.
The cheer squad is scheduled to make their first appearance in the Ocean Center on Thursday, April 6 with a 5:57 p.m. CDT performance in the Intermediate All-Girl Division IA competition, aiming for the opportunity to move on to Friday's competition and awards presentation.
This week's competition will represent the 20th appearance for UTSA cheer at the NCA Collegiate Nationals and the first career appearance for Rowdy. UTSA Cheer won the program's first-ever national title in 2012 while competing in the Advance D1A All-Girl Division, and earned its second in 2021 in the Virtual Advance D1A Small Coed Division.
"I can't wait to see what the 20th competition team does! Although young, they are determined, driven and full of excitement," head coach Ashley Johnson said.
Making the inaugural appearance, UTSA's beloved mascot, Rowdy will be joining the competition for a national title. A previous qualifier for the 2020 competition, Rowdy's debut was delayed by event cancellations that year. One of 15 mascots vying for this year's national title, Rowdy is scheduled to compete at 1:49 p.m. CDT on Saturday.
"Rowdy is ready to put in the hard work and showcase the best side of his feathers! He says, 'this year is for the Birds!' He's pumped for his current team and shouts-out his past teams that have helped him develop into the character that he is today," Johnson noted. "So many Rowdy Alum have set the bar for Rowdy and this team appreciates them so much!"
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