Office of External Communications

Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax; 713/743-8199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 13, 2004

Contact: Leticia Konigsberg
713/743-8152 (office)
713/617-7143 (pager)
lkonigsberg@uh.edu

HOUSTON, April 13, 2004 – The cheerleaders at the University Houston have something extra to cheer about this spring – two national titles in a row and three during the past four years.

The UH cheerleaders won first place in the Division 1A Small Coed 1 finals at the National Cheerleading Association (NCA) 2004 Chick-fil-A Cheer and Dance Collegiate Championship earlier this month in Daytona Beach, Fla. Since the inception of the NCA Small Coed 1 Category in 2001, the UH cheer team has taken first place in 2001, 2003 and 2004.

The squad, lead by Coach Sean Garland and Assistant Coach Lindsay Neal, competed against 15 national teams including Southern Methodist University, San Diego State University and University of Colorado at Boulder.
Captain Wendy Walker, and co-captains Aesha Sanford and Matt Hill lead the small coed team to its third win.

While the UH small coed team won first place in its category, the UH large coed team took second place in the Cheer Division 1A class.

“These accomplishments help create wider recognition nationwide and ultimately, generate a larger recruiting area outside of the state of Texas for the university,” said Garland. “Each national victory we have helps us elevate the bar for the level of athletes UH gains and retains.”

Garland has been coaching nearly 15 years and has been the UH coach for the last five.

“Our teams have now won two national titles in a row and three during the past four years,” said David Bertman, band director. “This is an outstanding achievement for any area. Coach Garland, assistant coach Neal and the cheerleaders have created a solid foundation in promoting UH on a national scale. For the band, cheer and dance areas, these young men and women are wonderful representations of students committed to a common goal of excellence. The UH Cougar Cheer Teams are a vital part in tradition and spirit on and off this campus. This recognition only furthers the vision of our total program.”

The UH cheer team is one of five spirit groups that help promote the university at extracurricular functions and events. The UH cheerleaders consist of three squads: one large coed, one small coed and one all female. The cheer teams represent UH at scheduled athletics events including home football and basketball games. The cheerleaders compete at regional and national cheer competitions.

The NCA has been administering the cheer and dance national championships. Teams from around the world have come together to compete for national titles in a variety of divisions.

The competitions leading to the UH victories will be televised later this month on CBS and FOX Sports Network.

About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students.

For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.