OCC Cheer Squad Wins Its 3rd U.S. Title

Orange Coast College’s cheer squad has done it again, rooting its way over the weekend to a third straight national cheerleading championship.

The 15 members of the coed squad bested 30 colleges--mostly four-year institutions--to take the title at the Universal Cheerleaders Assn. National Championships at Walt Disney World/MGM Resorts in Orlando, Fla. The campus is the only community college named national champions.

“I thought it might be a bit too much to expect our cheer squad to win a third national championship in a row,” said Joycelyn Groot, advisor to the squad. “We caught everyone off guard two years ago, but the teams have been gunning for us for the past two years.”

The college’s 16-member dance team, which took last year’s title, finished second in its category.