Niagara University’s cheerleading team won second place at this year's National Cheerleaders Association Cheer Spirit Rally Division I Championship in Daytona Beach April 5-9, 2023. The Purple Eagles cheer team earned an event score of 84.625.
Twenty-eight cheerleaders, along with Monte, competed, led by captains Samantha Klemer from Lockport, N.Y., Clare Miller from Hamburg, N.Y., and Savannah Partsch Bigelow from North Tonawanda, N.Y. This is the first year the team has competed in the spirit division.
“Going to NCA Nationals brings recognition to the Niagara University cheer program,” said Erin Bailey, who has coached the team for the past 14 years. “Many of the colleges and universities that attend provide cheer scholarships to their athletes, thereby increasing their talent pool. Niagara has always been the ‘small fish in a big pond,’ but continued to hold their own. We worked hard to perfect the routine and were happy with the second place win.”