BYU Cougarettes defend national hip hop title with 20th championship victory
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — The Brigham Young University Cougarettes won the 2021 National Dance Alliance Hip Hop National Championship on Saturday - the 20th victory for the program.
The NDA and the National Cheerleaders Association celebrated two special anniversaries at Daytona Beach, Fla. This year, 2021 marks the 40th Anniversary of the NCA & NDA Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship as well as 25 years of hosting the event in Daytona Beach.
BYU's win is the first for co-head coaches Stacy Bills and Morgan St. Pierre. They took the helm of the champion dance team when coach Jodi Maxfield retired. She led the Cougarettes to 19 national championships.
The Cougarettes posted on Instagram a photo of the team with their winning trophy.
NDA posted on its website:
This championship holds a copious amount of tradition, excellence and one-of-a-kind memories. NCA & NDA are proud to host this incredible event with the City of Daytona Beach. As the 2021 championship safely wraps up, NCA & NDA look forward to giving more collegiate teams the chance to safely celebrate doing what they love and proving the work is worth it!
The nationally recognized dance team features the following BYU students:
Abby Arnett, Mesa, Arizona
Jamie Bacon, Provo, Utah
Elise Bagley, Kaysville, Utah
Madison Bay, Pleasant Grove, Utah
Cienne Bethea, Mesa Arizona
Lauren Billings, Alpine, Utah
Brinley Harris, Gilbert, Arizona
Mckinley Hawkes, Alpine, Utah
Lonica Jacobson, Syracuse, Utah
Abbi Kelley, Orem, Utah
Kylie Larsen, Meridian, Idaho
Sydney Melling, Lehi, Utah
Rachel Parkinson, Draper, Utah
Jace Raymond, Orem, Utah
Brigitte Reynolds, Mesa, Arizona
Brynli Swallow, Meridian, Idaho
Caroline Tarbet, Sandy, Utah
Naevi Tingey, Pleasant Grove, Utah
Brittany Wanlass, Lehi, Utah
Abby Whitworth, Highland, Utah
Madeline Wood, Mesa, Arizona
Elena Wright, Cedar Hills, Utah
Click here to watch the 2019 winning jazz dance and here to watch the winning hip-hop routine. The 2020 competition was cancelled due to COVID-19.
