NEW: Spartan Cheerleaders Make History with Perfect Score at 2025 ESPN Global Cheerleading Invitational
From East Lansing to the World: A Perfect Routine, A Limitless Legacy — The Spartans Soar to New Heights
By: Natalie Marks, Senior ESPN Features Reporter | June 23, 2025
In a moment that will be remembered as a defining milestone in both Michigan State history and competitive cheerleading as a whole, the MSU Spartan Cheerleading Team made history this weekend at the 2025 ESPN Global Cheerleading Invitational, earning a perfect score of 100.0 — the first ever by a collegiate program at the prestigious international competition.
Held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida, the invitational featured elite squads from over 30 countries and 70 universities. But it was the Spartans who defied gravity, shattered expectations, and redefined perfection with a routine that combined unmatched technical difficulty, flawless synchronization, innovative choreography, and raw emotion.
> “This wasn’t just cheerleading — it was art, athleticism, and Spartan pride woven into one perfect moment,” said ESPN commentator Kendra McCall, herself a former All-American cheerleader. “They didn’t just win. They elevated the sport.”
Led by senior captains Alyssa Thornton and Mikayla Jordan, the team executed a high-octane 2-minute and 30-second performance that included never-before-seen pyramid sequences, double full tosses, synchronized tumbling, and elite basket stunts with zero deductions. The crowd was on its feet before the final pose even hit.
For Coach Devon Hayes, in her 8th season at the helm, the perfect score was the culmination of years of discipline, sacrifice, and vision.
> “We’ve always said, ‘Why not us?’” Hayes said with tears in her eyes after the win. “These athletes didn’t just chase greatness — they created it. They’re champions, but more than that, they’re history-makers.”
The win comes after a season of dominance, during which MSU placed first at every major regional meet and entered the global invitational ranked No. 1. Their theme — “Limitless” — resonated deeply with fans and judges alike, telling the story of a program that rose from overlooked to unstoppable.
This groundbreaking performance has already sparked national headlines and made waves across social media, with the hashtag #SpartansSoar trending in over 12 countries. Several members of the team have been invited to appear on Good Morning America and are being considered for international all-star cheer squads.
MSU Athletic Director J Batt called the victory “a watershed moment for Michigan State athletics,” adding that the cheer team’s success represents “the true spirit of the Spartan Way: relentless effort, heart, and the courage to aim higher than ever before.”
The 2025 ESPN Global Cheerleading Invitational trophy will return to East Lansing alongside a team that has not only made history, but rewritten the definition of excellence. And as their final chant echoed through the arena — “Go Green! Go White!” — one thing was crystal clear:
The world was watching. And the Spartans delivered perfection.
