CONGRATULATIONS, WORLD CHAMPIONS: WVU Cheerleading Crowned #1 in the World After Historic UCA & UDA Nationals Victory 🏆🌍
ORLANDO, FL — The world watched. Morgantown roared. And the West Virginia Mountaineers Cheerleading Squad delivered a performance for the ages.
In what experts are already calling one of the greatest routines in collegiate cheerleading history, West Virginia University’s cheer team stunned the global stage at the 2025 UCA & UDA College Cheerleading National Championships, capturing the coveted #1 World Ranking and officially being declared the Best Cheerleading Team on the Planet by ESPN and the International Spirit Federation.
The Mountaineers’ routine, a jaw-dropping 2 minutes and 30 seconds of synchronized tumbling, stunts, high-flying pyramids, and rhythmic precision, brought the sold-out crowd at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex to its feet. The final pyramid—a complex triple-layer inversion toss ending with the “Flying WV” midair formation—earned a perfect 100 from all five judges, a feat never before achieved in national competition.
> “This wasn’t just cheerleading—it was art in motion,” said ESPN analyst Ariel Martin, a former All-American cheerleader. “WVU didn’t perform the routine. They told a story of unity, resilience, and pride.”
Led by head coach Kimber Hawthorne, a WVU alumna and former squad captain, the 2025 team brought together a uniquely diverse roster of 34 athletes from 12 states and 3 countries. Their message? “One Voice. One Mountaineer Nation.” That theme carried through the music mix, uniform design, and choreography, incorporating West Virginia bluegrass roots with cutting-edge urban beats and Olympic-level athleticism.
This championship marks WVU’s first-ever world title in cheer, and it couldn’t come at a more poignant time. Just one year ago, the squad fell short of finals by less than a point. That defeat sparked what insiders now call “The Comeback Blueprint”—a 12-month, around-the-clock training cycle that included nutritionists, biomechanical analysts, and even AI-assisted choreography reviews.
Senior flyer Raya Jennings, who returned from ACL surgery last fall, delivered what many believe to be the most daring tumbling pass of the entire tournament—landing a round-off, back handspring, full-twist layout directly into a group basket toss.
> “We did this for every Mountaineer who ever wore this uniform, for every small-town kid in West Virginia who dreams big, and for ourselves—because we never stopped believing,” said Jennings through tears on the post-win broadcast.
Social media exploded with the hashtag #MountaineerWorldChamps, trending No. 1 globally on X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Instagram Reels within hours. Even LeBron James reposted the team’s winning pyramid with the caption:
> “This is how you show the world who you are. Salute, WVU.”
Back in Morgantown, the team returned to a hero’s welcome, greeted by thousands of fans, the WVU marching band, and a city-proclaimed “Mountaineer Cheer Day.” A parade down High Street is scheduled for this weekend, culminating in the squad raising the World Champions Banner inside the WVU Coliseum.
For Coach Hawthorne and the entire team, the moment is more than gold medals and trophies—it’s about legacy.
> “We’ve set a new standard,” Hawthorne said. “And now, the world knows: Mountaineers lead the way.”
Forever the pride of Morgantown. Forever our world champions. 💛💙
