By Jed Flemming, Athletic Communications and Media Intern

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced Tuesday the 2018 NAIA Competitive Cheer & Dance (CCD) All-America teams. To achieve NAIA All-America or Honorable Mention status, student-athletes participate in a try-out. Officials judge the athletes during the try-out and All-Americans are determined by the judges’ scores. The CCD Coaches Association officers then confirm the list of scores and athletes.

The All-America teams are designated by “All-America” and “Honorable Mention” status. This is the second-ever championship season for the sports of Competitive Cheer & Dance.

Overall, 18 different institutions – seven in Competitive Cheer, eight in Competitive Dance, and three in both Cheer and Dance – earned All-America status. The following programs earned Honorable Mention status: Baker (Kan.) and Siena Heights (Mich.).

Oklahoma City led all institutions with nine combined All-America individual honors. St. Ambrose (Iowa) had the second-most with six. Two other squads – Midland (Neb.) and Aquinas (Mich.) – each bring home five All-America individual accolades.

The 2018 NAIA National Championships are hosted by Oklahoma City University and will take place at the Abe Lemons Arena from March 9-10. Dance competition begins at 4:30 p.m. CST on March 9 with the cheer routines to start at 6:45 p.m. Saturday’s activities will commence at 10 a.m. with the awards ceremony scheduled for 2:25 p.m.

The 2018 season marks the second year the sport will conduct a NAIA National Championship. The NAIA is the only collegiate athletics association to offer a national championship in these two sports. Competitive Cheer and Dance was the first to earn national championship status within the NAIA in a span of 22 years.

For more information on the championships, click HERE.

2018 NAIA National Competitive Cheer & Dance All-America