ECSU Student From New Haven Helps Cheerleading Team Place In Nationals

NEW HAVEN, CT —The club cheerleading team at Eastern Connecticut State University finished in the top 10 at the National Cheerleaders Association College Nationals this April 6-10 in Daytona Beach, FL. With more than 400 teams competing, the College Nationals is the largest collegiate cheerleading competition in the country.

Among the cheerleaders was junior Taylor Knox of New Haven, who majors in Health Sciences.
The Eastern team competed in the D-III All-Girl Division and scored 87.3 out of 100 for difficulty, technique and skill.

"The team also had one of the highest jump scores in the whole division," Sophia Tsiktas, president of the club cheerleading team, said. "The best part of the trip was being able to represent Eastern again after not competing since 2019 and finishing top 10 in the nation."

The team has had a busy year, cheering at Eastern basketball games, performing at a Bridgeport Islanders game and capping off the season with this trip to the NCA College Nationals.

"Although the next national tournament is another year away, the team cannot wait to get back to work and continue to share their progress with the Eastern community," said senior club member Katlyn Wilcox. "As always, the (team) would like to extend it gratitude to the student activities office, Scott Smith (athletic equipment manager) and all the supporters on and off the mat."