Above: The SAU Cheer Team celebrates their win. Photo courtesy of Jaime Crawford.

The St. Ambrose University Cheer Team has proven their legacy as a national powerhouse, securing their third consecutive NAIA Competitive Cheer National Championship title. The Bees stung the mat with a record-breaking score of 97.95, earning the coveted red banner.

The team achieved an undefeated season, averaging a score of 94.38, and won both the AMC conference championship and all seven in-season competitions.

“It was such a great feeling hearing we got 1st place… I want to relive that moment 1000 times over again,” says captain Savannah Schumacher.

In NAIA, competitive cheer teams perform a 2.5-minute routine showcasing stunting, tumbling, jumps, and choreography. The Bees’ performance showcased their skills, leaving spectators roaring in cheers.

The Best Of The Best

Schumacher attributed the team’s success to the exceptional coaching staff. “We have the best coaching staff who provides us with the best choreographer, Dahston Delgado, who choreographs routines for other well-known cheer teams,” she explained. “That just shows that our coaches go out of their way to get the best of the best for us.”

The team’s performance was further elevated by a custom-designed music mix. “We also have a really good music producer who is well known in the cheer world and makes us great mixes that are personalized to our team,” Schumacher added. “Those elements help our routine get to the next level.”

The team’s success is rooted in unity and support. Junior cheerleader, JP Elder emphasizes that, “We are more than just teammates; we are a family. We push each other to be better and lift each other up.”

Elder highlights the team’s close bond: “We are a tight-knit group and always willing to help each other in and outside of cheer. Despite spending so much time together during practice, we also spend a lot of time together socially. That’s what helps us be a family. I think if we didn’t have the bond we have, we wouldn’t have won.”

Not An Easy Feat

“This year we had so many hard-working and dedicated teammates, and it all shows through our perseverance,” says Schumacher, reflecting on the team’s journey. “We had a lot of injuries and changes with people on and off the mat, and through all that, we were still able to come out on top because of our determination to win another national championship.”

“My favorite moments of the routine is when the crowd cheers for us when we hit our stunts or when someone finishes an amazing tumbling pass,” junior cheerleader Graysen Gerlinger says, “the support from the crowd really helps me and the rest of my teammates.”

The Challenges Ahead

As the Bees celebrate their victory, they are already looking ahead, determined to maintain their winning tradition and continue to push NAIA cheer to new heights. 

“As hard as we work and push the line of what is possible,” Elder notes, “there’s always a team right behind us doing the same thing.”

For the past two years, Xavier University of Louisiana has come runner-up to the Bees. While the Bees set new national scoring records each year, Xavier has also surpassed St. Ambrose’s previous year’s score.

The New Head Coach

While the athlete’s dedication is key, the coaching staff also plays a vital role in the team’s success.

Having previously served as an assistant coach, Alex Newenham stepped into the head coaching role this season, facing a mixture of challenges and triumphs.  

Reflecting on the win, Newenham said, “There were a lot of emotions. There were many new aspects to this season, for everyone, including myself. As this was my first year as head coach, it means a lot to see everyone’s hard work pay off, including the extra reps, early mornings, and extra practices.”

“It all paid off,” Newenham adds.

The transition into the head coach position was a smoother one for Newenham, coming from her prior experience as an assistant under Danelle Langeneckert. “Being an assistant the previous years have really helped because I did everything alongside our previous head coach, Danelle Langeneckert. That was really helpful. Moving into the season, nothing was really new to me.”

However, the change presented its own hurdles, particularly in adapting to the athletes. “It was challenging for the athletes just because I was in the assistant role for so long and a graduate assistant before that. I had to find a new way to communicate with them since each athlete is different in the way you approach situations,” Newenham explained.

Despite nerves as the season concluded, Newenham showed pride in the athletes’ resilience. “I was a little nervous getting to the end of the season, but the athletes pulled it together,” Newenham concluded.

Reflecting on the long season, Newenham shared, “Trusting the journey and the process and continuing to put in the work pays off.”

The SAU dance team, whose national championship takes place alongside the cheerleading nationals, was also aiming for a three-peat. They came incredibly close, finishing as runners-up with a score of 92.08 — just 0.16 points behind the 2025 National Champion, Midland University, which scored 92.24.

To read about how the dance team fared at nationals, click here.