April 10, 2008
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -
The Maryland competitive cheer team landed in second place out of 16 squads at the National Cheerleading Association's collegiate nationals in the preliminary round of the competition in Daytona Beach, Fla.
The Terps pulled off a solid performance, despite some minor errors, including one in the pyramid section of the routine. Sophomore Danielle Dixon landed a tumbling pass of one and a half through to full. Freshman Brittany Fonfara had a strong performance as the point of the Terps' formations, and junior Casie Madden stepped in to help the team recover from an injury.
The Terrapins earned a score of 8.857, while University of Louisville landed in first place with a score of 9.214. The squad from North Carolina State scored a score of 8.396 to end up in third place, while Kennesaw State scored 8.390. Massachusetts-Amherst earned a score 8.346, while the team from Ohio State finished with a score of 8.277. South Carolina had a score of 8.238, while Rutgers rounded out the top half of the division scored 8.219.
These eight teams will advance to compete in the final round of the competition tomorrow afternoon.
The Terrapins won the national title in 2006 and 2007. They pulled off the biggest comeback in NCA history in 2007, after they landed in sixth place because of deductions after the preliminary round. The Terrapins fought back from their sixth place spot to win the second consecutive title for the school.
