KAMLOOPS – The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack Cheer team brought back a third and fourth place finish after battling the best in the world at the ICU University World Cup Championships January 14-15 in Orlando, FL.

"Our team showed up. The ICU University World Cup Championship is the highest level of competition in our sport for Collegiate cheer," said WolfPack co-head coach Meaghan Blakely. "Not only did our student athletes handle the pressure professionally, but they also showcased strong sportsmanship, and had a blast while doing it."

The WolfPack competed in two different disciplines at the event, earning Bronze in the All Girl Game Day and finishing fourth in University Premier All Girl, which was the biggest division at their competition.

The trip to the World Championships was the second in program history. The team improved upon their fifth-place finish in the University Premier All Girl division that they earned back in January of 2020.

"Our scores reflected strength in our pyramid execution, stunt execution, routine overall and baskets. Our weaknesses were our tumbling, stunt difficulty, and pyramid difficulty," said Blakely. "For us to become more competitive, we will be focusing on maintaining our strengths, but also see if we can increase the difficulty in our routine across the board."

Finishing just .4 points behind Brock University in the Game Day competition, the WolfPack received no deductions en route to a score of 86.26 and the bronze medal.

"Exhilarated is the only word I can use to describe my feeling while walking off the mat," said third-year athlete and team captain Alexx Greenfield. "Competing at worlds was unlike any other experience I've ever had. The stakes were high and I knew I gave it everything I had. I was so proud of my team and thrilled that I got to share this moment with them."

Next up for the 'Pack was the prestigious University Premier All Girl competition. Flawless throughout much of their routine, the WolfPack were deducted four points after a late fall. They finished with a score of 75.4 points, just short of earning their second podium result with a fourth-place finish.

"What it felt like for me getting off the mat, was very thrilling knowing that all my stunts hit," said first year Sarah Harris. "Even though the team didn't hit zero I still think we had an amazing run and I was very happy."

"It was a feeling of relief that my stunts hit with a non-stop smile," echoed fellow first year Maria Banman. "Even though we did not hit zero I have never felt more proud of something before and I am extremely happy for that."

After shining on the mat in competition with teams from the USA, Japan, Australia, Mexico, Ireland and more, the WolfPack's next competition will be against more familiar faces. They are set to compete in the Provincial Championship this March in Victoria. The team will be aiming to defend the Game Day provincial title they won in 2022.
 
"I am looking forward to continuing to push the team to grow further and reach new heights," said co-head coach Heather Crawford. "We plan to upgrade their routine to increase our difficulty scores for upcoming competitions and I love to see how excited the teams get when they hit a new skill."
 
RESULTS

All Girl Game Day
Tokyo University of Agriculture – 90.43
Brock University – 86.6
Thompson Rivers University – 86.2

University Premier All Girl
University of Victoria – 85.5
Wilfird Laurier University – 84.9
Memorial University – 80.2
Thompson Rivers University – 75.4
University of Ottawa – 72.6
Brock University – 67.7
Tecnologico de Monterrey – 65.8