Cheerleading Squad Places 5th At NCA National Championship
4/14/2026 12:53:00 PM | Athletics Department
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It was another banner year for Mercer's competitive cheerleading squad as the Bears finished off an incredible run at the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) National Championship at the Ocean Center and the Daytona Beach Bandshell in northeast Florida.
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The NCA Nationals is a prestigious cheerleading competition that features various divisions, including All Girl, Coed, Game Day, Spirit Rally and dance divisions. The scoring system typically involves a 100-point scale, where scores for each category range from 0 to 10, with points being awarded based on execution and performance.
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Teams compete in reverse order of their preliminary placement, and the final score is determined by adding the scores of all routines performed by the team.
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Mercer racked up a routine score of 85.4667 and a performance score of 94.963 with no deductions for a combined 94.3704. The Bears finished fifth in the Intermediate All-Girl Division I finals behind squads from California Baptist, Lindenwood, Stephen F. Austin and Morgan State.
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Other southeast region schools competing in Mercer's division included Tennessee State (9th), Furman (13th), Presbyterian (24th), UNC Wilmington (27th) and Florida Gulf Coast (30th).
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The Bears are under the direction of first-year head coach Nicole Scott, as well as assistant coaches Lauren Chupp and Candise O'Kelley.
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Want to see the performance routine at the event?
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The NCA Nationals is a prestigious cheerleading competition that features various divisions, including All Girl, Coed, Game Day, Spirit Rally and dance divisions. The scoring system typically involves a 100-point scale, where scores for each category range from 0 to 10, with points being awarded based on execution and performance.
Â
Teams compete in reverse order of their preliminary placement, and the final score is determined by adding the scores of all routines performed by the team.
Â
Mercer racked up a routine score of 85.4667 and a performance score of 94.963 with no deductions for a combined 94.3704. The Bears finished fifth in the Intermediate All-Girl Division I finals behind squads from California Baptist, Lindenwood, Stephen F. Austin and Morgan State.
Â
Other southeast region schools competing in Mercer's division included Tennessee State (9th), Furman (13th), Presbyterian (24th), UNC Wilmington (27th) and Florida Gulf Coast (30th).
Â
The Bears are under the direction of first-year head coach Nicole Scott, as well as assistant coaches Lauren Chupp and Candise O'Kelley.
Â
Want to see the performance routine at the event?
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