2023 UCA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CHEERLEADING CHAMPIONSHIP HONORS TOP TEAMS

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Feb. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Varsity Spirit – the global leader in cheerleading, dance team and band apparel, camps and competitions, and a division of Varsity Brands, the market leader in team sports, school spirit and achievement recognition – is pleased to announce that the 2023 National High School Cheerleading Championship took place on February 10-12, 2023, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at The Walt Disney World^®.

The National High School Cheerleading Championship, produced by Universal Cheerleaders Association, a Varsity Spirit brand, is the pinnacle of cheerleading competitions for high school cheerleaders across the country. This year's event hosted 1,125 teams across 33 states. Teams competing at the championship must have qualified at a regional competition in 2022. Teams were credentialed in cheer safety and leadership training, endorsed by the National Federation of High School Sports (NFHS), as well as in the areas of crowd leading, spirit raising, ambassadorship, athleticism, and entertainment. Cheerleading teams are judged on their stunting and tumbling skills, crowd-leading ability, and overall performance. Teams competed in Traditional Routine, Game Day and the newest division at the championship, Game Day Live. The Game Day Live division debuted in 2020 and offers cheer teams the opportunity to perform with their school's band members in a live performance setting and translate their traditions from the sidelines to the competition floor.

"The National High School Cheerleading Championship has been a spectacle to celebrate the power of school spirit, community, athleticism, and talent," said Bill Seely, President of Varsity Spirit. "We are thrilled to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of airing the National High School Cheerleading Championship on ESPN. Providing a national championship platform to magnify what these remarkable athletes are doing and the good they have done on campuses across America, while giving them an opportunity to compete for a national title is core to our mission of elevating student experiences."

The National High School Cheerleading Championship was the first of its kind in 1980, created to reward cheerleaders for their work on the sidelines and to create a venue in which they could be recognized for their talents and abilities. This championship has been featured on ESPN since 1983 and broadcast to hundreds of millions of homes. Varsity Spirit partnered with the Walt Disney World^® Resort in 1995 and has been creating unforgettable National Championship experiences ever since.

For more information on the National High School Cheerleading Championship, please visit Varsity.com. Varsity Spirit live streamed the championship on Varsity TV, a website dedicated to exclusive live coverage and video libraries of Varsity Spirit cheer and dance competitions. Videos of the routines are available for fans who were otherwise unable to attend, and full results listings are available on Varsity TV. The championship will air on ESPN2 and ESPNU beginning in the Spring of 2023. Viewers can check their local listings for air times.

Select Varsity Division Winners include:

Super Varsity:

• Super Varsity Division I: Lake Mary High School | Lake Mary, FL
• Super Varsity Non-Tumbling Division I: Lakeland High School | Lakeland, FL
• Super Varsity Division II: Athens High School | Athens, AL
• Super Varsity Non-Tumbling Division II: North Bullitt High School | Shepherdsville, KY

Large Varsity:

• Large Varsity Division I: Live Oak High School | Watson, LA
• Large Varsity Non-Tumbling Division I: Rosemount High School | Rosemount, MN
• Large Varsity Division II: St. Hubert's Catholic High School | Philadelphia, PA
• Large Varsity Non-Tumbling Division II: Immaculata-La Salle High School | Miami, FL
• Large Varsity Coed: Bartow High School | Bartow, FL
• Large Varsity Non-Building: Lake Central High School | St. John, IN

Medium Varsity:

• Medium Varsity Division I: Corner Canyon High School | Draper, UT
• Medium Varsity Non-Tumbling Division I: Prior Lake High School | Savage, MN
• Medium Varsity Division II: St. Joseph's Academy | Baton Rouge, LA
• Medium Varsity Non-Tumbling Division II: Opp High School | Opp, AL
• Medium Varsity Coed: McCracken County High School | Paducah, KY

Small Varsity:

• Small Varsity Division I: James Clemens High School | Madison, AL
• Small Varsity Non-Tumbling Division I: Minnetonka High School | Minnetonka, MN
• Small Varsity Division II: Bishop McCort Catholic High School | Johnstown, PA
• Small Varsity Non-Tumbling Division II: Sumrall High School | Sumrall, MS
• Small Varsity Coed: Blackman High School | Murfreesboro, TN
• Small Varsity Non-Building: Millard West High School | Omaha, NE

Game Day:

·  Varsity Game Day Live: Independence High School | Thompson's Station, TN

• Super Varsity Game Day Division I: Hempfield Area High School | Greensburg, PA
• Super Varsity Non-Tumbling Game Day Division I: Alamo Heights High School | San Antonio, TX
• Super Varsity Game Day Division II: Liberty Christian High School | Argyle, TX
• Super Varsity Non-Tumbling Game Day Division II: Liberty Creek High School | Gallatin, TN
• Large Varsity Game Day Division I: Northwest Rankin High School | Flowood, MS
• Large Varsity Non-Tumbling Game Day Division I: Riverdale High School | Murfreesboro, TN
• Large Varsity Game Day Division II: Opp High School | Opp, AL
• Large Varsity Non-Tumbling Game Day Division II: Mize Attendance Center | Mize, MS
• Large Varsity Coed Game Day: Fossil Ridge High School | Fort Worth, TX
• Medium Varsity Game Day Division I: Franklin High School | Franklin, TN
• Medium Varsity Non-Tumbling Game Day Division I: Arapahoe High School | Centennial, CO
• Medium Varsity Game Day Division II: Purvis High School | Purvis, MS
• Medium Varsity Non-Tumbling Game Day Division II: Newton County High School | Decatur, MS
• Medium Varsity Coed Game Day: McDowell High School | Erie, PA
• Small Varsity Game Day Division I: Jefferson High School | Bloomington, MN
• Small Varsity Non-Tumbling Game Day Division I: Auburn Mountainview High School | Auburn, WA
• Small Varsity Game Day Division II: Smithtown High School West | Smithtown, NY & Burlington Township High School | Burlington, NJ
• Small Varsity Non-Tumbling Game Day Division II: Poplarville High School | Poplarville, MS
• Small Varsity Coed Game Day: West Nassau High School | Callahan, FL

About Varsity Spirit
Memphis-based Varsity Spirit, the driving force behind cheerleading's dynamic transformation into the high-energy, athletic activity it is today, is the leading global source for all things spirit, including cheerleading, dance team and performing arts. A division of Varsity Brands, Varsity Spirit is a leader in uniform innovation, as well as educational camps, clinics and competitions, impacting more than a million athletes each year. Focused on safety, entertainment and traditional school leadership, Varsity Spirit's employees have been dedicated to celebrating spirit through its brands since 1974. For more information about Varsity Spirit or Varsity Brands, please visit varsity.com or varsitybrands.com.

About Varsity Brands
With a mission to inspire achievement and create memorable experiences for young people, Varsity Brands elevates the student experience, promotes participation and celebrates achievement through three unique but interrelated businesses: BSN SPORTS, Varsity Spirit, and Herff Jones. Together, these assets promote personal, school and community pride through their customizable products and programs to elementary and middle schools, high schools, and colleges and universities, as well as church organizations, professional and collegiate sports teams and corporations. Through its dedicated employees and independent representatives, Varsity Brands reaches its individual and institutional customers each year through competitions, camps and sales.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Emily Albert
Varsity Spirit
[email protected]

SOURCE Varsity Spirit