KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced Glenn Caston as the 2024 Nfinity NAIA Competitive Cheer Coach of the Year after leading Xavier (La.) to a Runners-Up finish at this year's national championship. This marks the second recognition in the past three seasons for the Gold's coach.

Qualifying each of the last four years, Xavier was second in 2024, the 2022 Red Banner winner, and a fifth place finish in their first championship appearance in 2021. XULA has two of the top five scores at the final site, which include their championship point total from 2022 and their Runners-Up total from this past championship. 

Caston has been leading Xavier since the program's existence as a competitive program in 2019-20 and has had 20 total NAIA All-Americans awarded, all over the last two years. In 2024, he coached 13 student-athletes to First Team All-American status. 

The eighth annual NAIA Cheer and Dance National Championships were hosted in Ypsilanti, Michigan March 29-30 at the George Gervin GameAbove Center on the campus of Eastern Michigan University. Hosted by the Ann Arbor Sports Commission and Concordia University Ann Arbor, 15 cheer team’s competed in the two round competition. Prelim scores accounted for 25% of the total while Finals scores made up the remaining 75%.