BLINN CHEERLEADERS WIN INAUGURAL NJCAA COMPETITIVE CHEER INVITATIONAL

Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information

A historic year of Blinn College cheer continued Saturday as the Buccaneers earned the seventh national championship in the program's storied history.

Competing at the inaugural NJCAA Competitive Cheer Invitational in Salt Lake City, Utah, Blinn became the first All Girl division champion by defeating Joliet Junior College 341-314.5 following a lengthy battle on the mat.

The Bucs prevailed in a three-team bracket, knocking off Joliet twice (334-311.2 in the semifinal round Thursday) to claim the championship.

"I'm so proud of our team, especially with the way they handled the format; we've never competed for two straight hours before," Blinn cheer coach Amanda Logback said. "I'm so proud of them for making history; there's nothing like the first time. I told our girls they'll always be remembered as the first team to win this title."

The matchup between Blinn and Joliet was contested across three periods featuring 18 different events.

"The girls all did a really good job of putting clean, smart cheerleading on the mat," Logback added. "They really excelled in all of the heats and looked good overall."

The Bucs are in the midst of a historic campaign which also saw them become one of two teams to compete in the NJCAA's first competitive meet. Blinn and Navarro faced off at the Kruse Center in Brenham, Texas, in October.

"This has been a great year for us in terms of learning and competing outside of our comfort zone," Logback said. "We now know how to prepare to be even better for years to come, and we'll continue to pass along these experiences to our future cheer teams."

Blinn's cheer season will conclude in April at the National Cheer Association & National Dance Association Nationals meet in Daytona Beacher, Fla. Logback said her team's NJCAA Invitational run could pay dividends when they head to The Sunshine State.

"The more times you can get out in front of people and perform elite-level skills and get comfortable and confident is a step in the right direction," Logback explained. "Our girls definitely should have gained confidence this weekend."