DALLAS – The UTSA cheer team and Rowdy turned in their best-ever performances this month at the National Cheerleaders Association College Camp, held on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
“I’m so proud of how our UTSA Cheer & Mascot teams showed up and out at camp this year,” UTSA head coach Ashley Johnson said. “They left lasting impressions on us as coaches, NCA staff and other collegiate programs from around Texas. It helps that we had a successful competition but, more than the accolades, our cheerleaders and Rowdy all showcased leadership, commitment to excellence, grit and unity. The amount of growth we saw from first years to our fifth year was something truly wonderful. I can’t wait for our community to see these teams. We are all in for something special this year.”
All of UTSA’s teams that competed in the NCA College Camp earned bids to nationals. The All-Girl squad swept the camp for the first time in program history, earning a Gold Bid to nationals. They were named Most Collegiate and members of this squad earned 10 All-America honors.
In addition, the All-Girl squad that represented UTSA competed in a runoff that included Texas Tech, North Texas, Houston and Lubbock Christian. The Roadrunners beat each team in the runoff, marking the first time in school history for a Roadrunner victory.
The UTSA Coed team competed in a competitive division, placing second behind the University of Houston.
“This is young, determined and energized team is a group of athletes that our cheer community is excited to see in the future,” Johnson said.
Rowdy earned a bid to nationals, claiming most improved Mascot of Camp Award, as well as most helpful and most collaborative acknowledgements.
UTSA also won the top-gun stunts - one of the highest individual awards given to a group of athletes at camp.
The Roadrunners are coming off a 2023-24 season in which they earned three top-10 finishes at the NCA National Championships in 2 divisions – All-Girl Advanced (4th place) and Game Day Division (3rd place).