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UWF Cheerleading Team Wins National Championship

The UWF Cheerleading team captured a national championship at the NCA College Nationals.

The Argos were in first place after the preliminaries and took advantage of that lead in the finals.

This is the first time UWF has competed in this prestigious competition. Head coach Brooke Ciolino knew this team had the potential to bring home a title from one of the biggest and best competitions out there.

“I look over and there’s a five-foot trophy sitting in my room and it’s awesome,” said Ciolino.

The championship winning team overcame all kinds of obstacles on their way to a crowning achievement.

Ciolino and assistant coach Shantell Taylor had to hold virtual tryouts due to COVID restrictions. The squad did not meet until September, and even then only half of the members could practice during a session. The team worked in shifts like this until October.

The team also battled numerous injuries along that way.

And Taylor had to help coach the squad via Zoom exclusively after her husband was transferred away from Pensacola. In fact, she choreographed the championship winning routine virtually.

Taylor and Ciolino were college teammates. This championship win is the fulfillment of a dream.

“It’s honestly surreal,” Ciolino said. “Since we started coaching together we’ve always talked about how wonderful it would be to do this.”

UWF took top honors in the NCA College Nationals Game Day Open – which simulates the atmosphere of cheering at a live sporting event. The West Florida squad consists of 26 cheerleaders, with 11 returning members and 15 new to the team. Many of the new members have never cheered on a college sideline before.

Ciolino points to the squad’s quickly developed chemistry as a driving force.

“There’s just something special about this team,” Ciolino added. “They never stopped pushing.”

The UWF coaches saw the opportunity to focus on training for competition with no sports to cheer for in the fall and winter of 2020. They also saw the talent, drive and determination this team possessed.