NAIA Champions Xavier University of Louisiana Competitive Cheer takes another title, ready to defend Championship

Xavier University of Louisiana’s (XULA) Competitive Cheer Team is pressing forward, fearing nothing, and defending their title! On Saturday, January 29, 2023, Xavier University’s Cheer Team placed first in the Life University Classic and Life Duals tournament. Now, the Cheer Team is set on defending their victory in the largest National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Cheer and Dance Competition of 2023. Hosted on Xavier Cheer’s home turf, the Xavier University of Louisiana Convocation Center, the Xavier Cheer Team swept the competition during the Battle in the Big Easy and has, for the third year in a row, qualified to compete at the NAIA National Competition. Xavier will compete on March 10-11, 2023, as the defending champion.

Straight out of the gate, XULA Cheer trounced the competition on day one of Battle in the Big Easy on February 8, 2023, with a record-breaking score of 98.6 points against Concordia, Michigan. The previous record for XULA was 96.3 in an NAIA Unaffiliated Group Championship meet that was held on February 19, 2022. Concordia, the 2019 NAIA national champion, scored 92.6.  Xavier University of Louisiana Competitive Cheer handed the Concordia Cheer Team its first loss of the season out of 18.

On Saturday, February 11, Xavier University of Louisiana produced another top-of-the-mountain score to win an NAIA unaffiliated group qualifying meet for the third consecutive year. The championship also resulted in a third straight automatic berth for Xavier Cheer to compete at the NAIA nationals. Xavier University of Louisiana’s final score, based on 25% of its first-round score and 75% of its second-round score, was 97.72.

Dillard University was second with 75.44 points and Montreat placed third with 46.97.

Xavier Cheer on their home turf produced the top three final scores in the program's four-year history. The 97.72 point total from February 11 became XULA Cheer’s second-highest final score, and on Friday, February 10, the Cheer Team scored its third-highest total of 96.7 to beat six other schools. XULA is 19-0 this season and 52-0 since the start of 2022.

"Battle in the Big Easy as easily become a staple in NAIA Cheer and Dance- we are happy to have hosted so many great programs from across the country. Of course, bringing home another Regional Title is rewarding and certainly a joy; what is even more fulfilling is seeing the 200+ athletes from various regions enjoy our beautiful campus and city,” said Head Cheer Coach and Xavier Social Justice and Inclusion Officer, Glenn Caston. “As we move into Nationals seasons, XULA Cheer will refocus on what is most important - ensuring our athletes are equipped and prepared to defend their well-earned title as National Champions.”

Caston was recognized in 2022 as the NAIA’s 2021-2022 Coach of the year, and not long after, The NAIA coaching body voted to award Caston a two-year term position as the vice president of the NAIA Cheer Coaches Association. With his guidance, the Xavier Competitive Cheer Team has flourished and conquered.

Xavier’s Cheer Team has had a history-making and record-breaking year, winning the 2022 NAIA Cheerleading title with the highest point total in the event’s history. The 6th Annual NAIA Competitive Cheer National Championship featured 15 teams from across the country, and the Xavier University of Louisiana Cheer Team stole the show! Xavier was the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to take the title and the Cheer Team brought Xavier University of Louisiana its first championship win in the NAIA. In 2021, their first year qualifying for nationals, the Xavier Cheer Team took fifth place.

As the first HBCU to take the national title, the recognition does not stop at Xavier University, but resounds at HBCU programs worldwide and in the hearts of the next generation.

“Our athletes are models for the young three-year-old cheerleader who doesn’t know what she’s doing out there; she’s just shaking her pom poms out there at the Mardi gras parade,” Caston shared with WWL. “But [then] she sees something else. She sees an athlete, who [can make her] say, ‘wait, what was that she did? Let me try that!’”

The strong determination and talent of the Xavier Cheer Team, led by Head Coach Caston, continue forward to groundbreaking cheer history.