Orlando, Fla. — The University of South Florida cheerleading program continued its climb among the nation’s elite, capturing two national championships and medaling in all five divisions it entered at the 2026 UCA/UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship.
Competing at the UCA/UDA College Cheerleading & Dance Team National Championship inside the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, USF’s All Girl and Coed teams combined for championship performances that pushed the program’s total to 11 world or national titles over the past six seasons.
Both squads finished no lower than second place in any division they entered.
All Girl Team Wins Division I Game Day, Medals in Three Divisions
Led by head coach Sandy Clarke, the USF All Girl Cheer Team claimed the Division I All Girl Game Day national title, marking the program’s fourth national championship overall and its third Game Day crown in the last four years.
The weekend also delivered two silver medals. USF placed second in Division I All Girl Traditional and finished runner-up in the University World Cup division. It marked the first time in program history the All Girl team medaled in three divisions at the same national championship.
USF has now finished in the top two nationally in All Girl Game Day four consecutive years. The program also remains the only Division I school to win national titles in both All Girl Game Day and All Girl Traditional in the same season, a milestone achieved in 2024.
“Our goal for Game Day was to execute and put on a clean performance,” Clarke said. “The athletes did exactly that. In Traditional, we wanted two zero-deduction routines, and they delivered. Medaling in all three divisions is something this team earned.”
Clarke was assisted by Kelly Budnick, Leighton Clarke, Jessica Shefman, Kayla Rivera, and Kate Shapiro.
Coed Team Claims Large Coed Title, Continues Historic Run
The USF Coed Cheer Team captured the Division I Large Coed national championship, earning its fourth title in the division and fifth overall. The Bulls also finished runner-up in Coed Game Day, reversing their 2025 results.
Under the leadership of head coaches Ronnie Patrick and Gillian Guadagnino, along with assistants Noah Webb, Adarius Payne, Erica Scarborough, and Trent Hayden, the Coed program has become one of collegiate cheer’s most reliable contenders. USF has now won national titles in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025, and 2026.
In 2023, USF joined University of Kentucky as the only programs to win three consecutive Coed national championships.
“We challenged this team to be tough and consistent in every moment,” Patrick said. “They responded all season and showed exactly who they are when it mattered.”
USF Coed Cheer resumed national competition in 2016 after a 13-year hiatus and steadily climbed the standings before reaching the top of the podium in 2021. Since then, the Bulls have remained a fixture in championship finals.
With 11 national or world titles in six years, USF Cheer continues to set a standard across multiple collegiate divisions. The program’s ability to contend simultaneously in Game Day, Traditional, World Cup, and Coed categories underscores its depth and long-term structure rather than reliance on a single roster cycle.
USF Cheerleading UCA Championship Titles (11)
2026 Division I Large Coed
2026 Division I All Girl Game Day
2025 All Girl World Cup
2025 USA Grand Championship, All Girl
2025 Division I Coed Game Day
2024 Division I All Girl Game Day
2024 Division I All Girl Traditional
2023 Division I All Girl Game Day
2023 Division I Large Coed
2022 Division I Large Coed
2021 Division I Large Coed
2026 Runner-Up Finishes
Division I All Girl Traditional
University World Cup
Division I Coed Game Day
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