USA Cheer Announces 2016 STUNT National College Championship to Take Place in Sacramento

The Sixth National STUNT Championship will take place on April 28 & 29, 2016

Memphis, Tenn., October 28, 2015 – USA Cheer, the governing body for all disciplines of cheer in the United States, has announced that the 2016 National STUNT College Championship will be held in Sacramento, Calif., in two venues, the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium and the campus of Sacramento State University.

“We have seen an increased interest in STUNT on the West Coast at all levels, and are excited to host our National Championship in California,” says Ronnie Carter, Executive Director of USA Cheer, which developed the format of STUNT in collaboration with cheerleading experts, women’s sports experts and coaches from colleges and universities with long histories of cheerleading excellence.

Women’s STUNT, the new varsity sport derived from cheerleading launched by USA Cheer, has just finished its fifth season at the college level and second for high school. More than 50 colleges have participated over the past five seasons, and high schools from more than 10 states have participated over two seasons, making STUNT the fastest growing girls sport in the country. Developed to meet the requirements of a sport under Title IX, ย STUNT takes the athletic skills of cheerleadingโ€”like jumps, stunts and tumblingโ€”and creates a full, hour long format that challenges teams to head-to-head competition.

Last year in California, more than 10 high schools also participated in the STUNT Season and in the California State Championship, and more than 45 teams have already signed up for the 2016 STUNT season.ย  USA Cheer will host a Northern California and Southern California championship the weekend prior and then wrap up the season with a State Championship in conjunction with the National STUNT College Nationals.

“STUNT is an exciting addition to cheerleading in California,” says Annette Laron-Pickett, Cheer/STUNT Coach & Dance Advisor for the Cal State Poly Mustangs. “Our team loved playing STUNT as a spring sport, and loved the strategy of the game itself. It used their cheerleading skills, but in a new way.”

Sacramento State has participated in STUNT for a total of three seasons. “Our first season, in 2013, was the first time Sac State’s All Girl team has ever done any type of competing, and it was a very big deal for our girls and the program,” says Kori Thomas, coach for Sacramento State University. “In STUNT, you want to use every team member to divide the routines to maximize every athlete’s individual skills for the team to win. The best part of STUNT is that it puts everyone on a level playing field. STUNT has helped our program so much, I can’t wait for the West Coast to see what it is all about.”

To learn more about STUNT or USA Cheer, visit www.usacheer.org, or contact Sheila Noone, media@usacheer.org.