In their purple and white uniforms, Northwestern State University’s cheerleading team is one of the many spirit organizations that reside on campus. They practice week after week for competitions and sporting events and never fail to capture their audience’s attention with the stunts and cheers they perform.

The NSU cheer team has participated in several competitions in the past and is once again preparing for a highly regarded competition, UCA College Nationals. This event includes cheerleaders and dancers from all over the country, and this year the team will be participating in not one, but two of the divisions that UCA College Nationals has to offer.

Mallory Jenkins, a sophomore business administration major, has spent two of her 11 years cheering on the NSU cheer team and is looking forward to returning to nationals. “I’m deeply anticipating going back to nationals and competing to bring home the gold for NSU because this is something we work for all year,” Jenkins said.

Qualantre Jackson, a cheerleading coach and Southwest Recruiter for NSU, has high expectations for the team going into this year’s competition season. “This has been one of our most talented and driven squads since I became a coach,” Jackson said. “I cannot wait to see how locked in they are when we commence competition practices.”

While the excitement of nationals can be overwhelming for the team, it also brings back memories of past events and the cheer squad’s favorite moments. Paige Pruett is a health and exercise science major who has been on the team for four years and has had several great memories during her time with them. “My favorite memory overall was winning the World Cup and coming home to family and friends waiting to celebrate with us in the parking lot,” Pruett said.

Abby Williams, a senior accounting major and fourth-year member of the team, is excited about what her senior year entails and what the team will leave her with. “Cheer has given me so much, especially my four years on the NSU cheer team,” Williams said. “Cheer has given me friendships that I will forever cherish, leadership skills and countless memories. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to be an NSU cheerleader.”