It did not take long for spirit squads representing Mississippi State University to make waves at the highest level.
In the program’s second year competing at the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) competition, two Bulldog groups were crowned national champions in Daytona, Fla., earlier this month.
After more than 80 Mississippi State athletes competed as teams in the competition, the university was crowned the national champion in the Small Coed Intermediate D1A and Spirit Rally D1A divisions during the NCA competition. The Small Coed routine is a traditional competition team comprised of four male cheerleaders and 16 females, while the Spirit Rally team performed a game-day style performance.
Last year, the spirit squads had two third-place finishes, which instilled a sense of confidence that the glass ceiling could be shattered this year. Well, that came to fruition with the Bulldogs hoisting two title banners.
“Over the last year, we have worked tirelessly to push the bar and raise the standards in our program to bring these national titles home to Starkville,” MSU director of spirit and fan engagement Tiffany Fettinger said. “While we love the sidelines and will always support our Dawgs on their playing fields, having the opportunity to perform on ‘our field’ is what will continue to take our program to the next level.”
The university’s dance team also competed for the first time at the National Dance Association and placed second, while the all-girl cheer team placed sixth. As for future competitions, Fettinger sees no signs of Mississippi State’s success slowing anytime soon.
“Two years ago, this was a dream. Now, we have two national titles returning to our little slice of heaven and bringing this positive attention back to a place we all love so much,” she said. “Competition builds so much character and truly shapes their college cheer and dance experience in such a different way.”
