Xavier University of Louisiana national champions in competitive cheer for second time in four years

Xavier University of Louisiana is a national champion for the second time in four years, taking the  National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics competitive cheer title in late March. They beat out fourteen other schools in the finals, held at the Stormont Vail Events Center in Topeka, Kansas.

The Gold Rush’s final score of 96.13 was nearly four points ahead of second-place Indiana Wesleyan, who finished at 92.72, followed by St. Ambrose at 91.75.  The XULA squad leapfrogged three teams on the final day of competition after a strong Friday showing, ultimately claiming the red banner.

“Just like our student-athletes are challenged in the classroom, we challenged them on the floor. We gave them a demanding routine because they are extremely capable, and they rose to meet that expectation,” said coach Glenn Caston in a statement from the school, the nation’s Catholic HBCU.

“Against one of the toughest fields we’ve seen all season, we leaned into our history to steady us. That focus carried us to a championship.”

The NAIA crown was the culmination of a season-long stretch of success for the Gold Rush, who were national runners-up in the previous two seasons. This year, the team won the Southern States Athletic Conference championship, while Caston was named the conference’s top coach. 

The team also took second place at the National Cheerleaders Association College Nationals this month in Daytona, Florida, where they competed in the advanced large coed open division. The NCAs focus on performance or show cheer (including crowd involvement), while the NAIA event strictly focuses on competitive cheer.

Ten XULA athletes on the team were named to the competitive cheer All-American teams on April 2, including freshman Kelsea Allen, who was named NAIA Competitive Cheer Athlete of the Year. Four Gold Rush athletes were named NAIA First Team All-Americans, two on the Second Team, and three on the Third Team.

Another Xavier cheer athlete, freshman Anthony Glay, earned an NAIA Champions of Character award, which honors students-athletes embodying integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership.

Xavier’s first national championship, at the NAIA event in 2022, was also the first for an HBCU in competitive cheer and during just the third season of cheer as a sponsored sport at the school. The Gold Rush have seen continued success since, including a 2024 NCA national championship, and their NAIA victory this year broke a record three-year streak of national championships for St. Ambrose.

The latest NAIA crown for Xavier cheer is the first under athletic director Pat Kendrick, who took over the role in 2023 and also serves as the head coach of women’s volleyball.

Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.

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