University of Central Florida Cheer Team: A Legacy of Excellence

The University of Central Florida (UCF) cheerleading team stands as a powerhouse in collegiate cheerleading, boasting a rich history of national championships and a commitment to developing well-rounded student-athletes. Primed to compete with a chance at earning yet another 2025 UCA/UDA College Nationals championship title, the UCF cheer team has consistently demonstrated its excellence on the national stage.

UCA/UDA College Nationals: The Pinnacle of Collegiate Cheerleading

For more than 35 years, the UCA (Universal Cheerleaders Association) and UDA (Universal Dance Association) College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship has been the culmination of the season for cheerleaders and dancers across the country. The UCA College Nationals and the UDA College Nationals features the best teams in the nation competing for championships and what better place to do it than “the most magical place on Earth.” The event will take place Jan. 17-19 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. This prestigious event showcases the athleticism, skill, and dedication of cheerleading teams from across the nation. The Knights won the Division IA Coed national title in 2024 and will be looking to take home wins back-to-back in 2025. They'll also compete in Game Day, another division in which they won the title, back in 2019. UCF's consistent success at this competition underscores its commitment to excellence.

How to Watch UCA/UDA College Nationals 2025

The entire event is streaming on Varsity TV and on the FloSports app beginning Jan. 17. Event replays, highlights and breaking news will be available on both platforms. The rebroadcast will stream on Varsity TV on a delay of 24 hours.

When Does UCF Cheer Compete at UCA College Nationals

Here’s when the Central Florida cheer team will compete at UCA College Nationals 2025:

UCF will compete in the DIA Cheer Game Day semifinals on Jan. (AdventHealth Arena - South).UCF will compete in the DIA Cheer semifinals on Jan. (AdventHealth Arena - South).

A History of National Championships

UCF has been winning UCA College National Titles For Decades. Last year, UCF won the Division IA Coed Cheer national title-making it their fourth since earning the first in 2003. They also won in 2003, 2007, and 2020. Back in 2019, UCF won the Game Day division and will return hoping to recapture the title in 2025. These victories highlight the program's sustained success and its ability to adapt and excel in a competitive environment. That 2003 championship truly was a David and Goliath situation because the University of Kentucky had won eight consecutive national championships. There were two generations of college cheerleaders who had never known another champion. For UCF to come in and do that was absolutely magical. Showing it wasn’t a fluke, we came back and won it again in 2007 and at that point UCF Athletics was really taking off.

Linda Gooch: The Architect of Success

Who Coaches The University of Central Florida Cheer Teams? Linda Gooch is the head coach for the Central Florida cheer team. She is in her 41st season with the program and has been a part of all five UCA national championships. Gooch's leadership has been instrumental in the team's achievements, fostering a culture of dedication, discipline, and teamwork. During her time with the team, Gooch led them to top-10 finishes in 26 of the last 28 years. In October 2024, she was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the Kia Center in Orlando. As UCF approaches its inaugural season as the youngest member of a Power 5 conference, the athletics department is taking a look back to commemorate this special moment in history. In the spring of 1980, Linda Gooch ’85 became a member of the UCF cheer team. In August 1984 she was officially hired as the program’s head coach (the 2023 football season marks her 40th with the Knights) and a decade later the squad began competing for national titles. In addition, Gooch - now the longest-tenured employee in UCF Athletics - has been a key figure in the creation of mascot Knightro and the KnightMoves dance team. Her husband Alan Gooch ’84 ’89MA played football at UCF and then coached football with the Knights for 22 years.

Gooch's Early Years and the Evolution of Cheerleading

I started coaching UCF cheer in 1984 - at the same time I was teaching eighth-grade history. I would teach school during the day and drive straight to campus and coach the team in the evening. Back then, to qualify for the national championship schools would send in videotapes of their teams performing stunts and pyramids. From those entry tapes, the top 10 teams in each division were invited to compete for the title. This is the 1980s and with no internet or social media. We were pretty isolated. We had no real idea what skills other teams were including in their videos. All we knew was what we saw see at summer cheerleading camp. This was a time of incredible growth for cheerleading. The popularity of gymnastics exploded in the US during the ’70s, but there just weren’t enough qualified coaches. As high school programs, like mine, closed down many girls - took their acrobatic skills to cheerleading. What had begun as a sideline activity developed into a kind of alternative gymnastics. During my first 10 years of coaching from 1984 to 1994 we submitted video entry tapes every year but kept receiving rejection letters. If you were close to being selected, you received not just a letter but a plaque. When you walk into my office today, on a shelf I have four of the rejection plaques. I keep those up there to remind me that nothing happens overnight, and you just have to stay at it. All those sayings about perseverance are really true. In 1994 there was no rejection letter. I finally got a congratulations phone call. We had qualified for nationals. I was so pumped. I immediately called our Athletic Director Steve Sloan. I said, “I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is that after 10 years of trying we have finally qualified to compete for the Division I-AA national championship.” He went on and on congratulating us. I said, “The bad news is the competition is in San Diego, California, and I need $10,000 to get our team out there.” There was a long pause. Back in 1994 $10,000 might as well have been $100,000. That first year we learned a great lesson about how video works. In the ’90s the college cheerleading national championship was aired (taped delay) on ESPN. We would record the show and watch it repeatedly during all those years when we were getting the rejection letters. The teams just seemed so incredible. So flawless in their performances. What we did not know was that back then the TV show edited out all the falls. My thought heading out to San Diego was, “We just don’t want to embarrass ourselves.” I figured, it’s our first year competing, let’s just keep everything in the air, so I gave our team a routine that I knew we could hit. Well we nailed it and came in a very close second to Morehead State University (in 1994). We came back to the Orlando airport and the (UCF marching) band met us at the gate. We never looked back. In 1996 we moved into Division I-A along with our football team; in 1999 we finished in the top three; in 2002 we were runner up.

Memorable Moments and Traditions

There have been some incredible moments that mark milestones for the program. In the Troy State playoff game (1987) as a coach it was incredibly gratifying to get the noise penalty. After all that’s what every cheerleading coach should aspire to - having it that loud. I remember the officials walking over to (then head coach) Gene McDowell and saying, “Coach, you’re going to need to get on the PA and tell the fans to quiet down so we can get the ball snapped.” And he replied, “We’ll take the penalty.” It was great. I have one of those penalty flags framed in my office - as a badge of honor. One of the most gratifying moments for me was ESPN’s College GameDay coming to campus in 2018. Lee Corso has a tradition of putting on the mascot head for whatever team he is going to pick to win. Coach Corso called me (earlier in the week) and said “Linda, this is going to be epic. I’m going to put the whole knight costume on.” We knew that this could possibly be one of the most iconic video shots in all of College GameDay; something that would be played and replayed on the show for years to come. We had 90 seconds during the commercial to get Lee Corso into our Knightro costume. The GameDay experience was a chance to raise the curtain. They give you five days’ notice if you are selected to host the show. If your spirit program isn’t doing a great job at your games and you haven’t created great traditions and a great game day experience for your fans, the no amount of magic is going to happen in those five days to get you ready. Fortunately, at UCF we had been preparing for this moment for most of my adult life.

The Philosophy of Success

We always said it does not matter what you’re doing at UCF; just try to be the best at what you do. We are an aircraft carrier of a university. Positioned in Orlando, Florida, right in the middle of the state, it was our geographic birthright to be competitive at whatever we applied ourselves to. Athletics is just one of those areas where we are going to excel. We knew it was just a matter of time when all of our sports would eventually be competing on a national stage. When people ask about the organization of the spirit program, I tell them it’s like a football team. You have the offense and the defense and the special teams. Cheerleading is the offense; the dance team is the defense, and the mascot program is the special teams. In terms of mascots, in about 1986 or 1987 a yellow dragon first appeared on our sideline and that was Puff. Puff looked a little like a bumblebee, and it had black dragon chest stripes. Then came Mack the Knight, who was sort of a cross between an astronaut and a knight. In 1994 the athletic department decided that we needed to create a real animated mascot and asked if I would manage that aspect of the program. Trey Gordon had been a cheerleader and went on to work in student government. Trey took an interest in this project and I suggested he get some drawings done. He went to Metropolis Graphics in Winter Park and the committee loved the initial drawings. We had the costume made and Knightro I was born. Knightro II was similar but had a plastic face kind of like a doll. When it needed to be remade again, someone suggested the costume needed more sparkle so we had a vendor out at Disney create Knightro III (aka Glitter Knightro). All that glitter was heavy and “Glitter Knightro” weighed 50 pounds, making game days in Florida particularly rough. The KnightMoves dance team kind of grew organically. We already had Starlet Knights, which were the auxiliaries of the marching band - flag-bearers, baton twirlers and a dance team. The dance team wanted to participate at basketball games and we tried that. It made sense for athletics to govern that group, and so they asked me to take on that assignment, too. Our dance team began just with basketball and but as we moved to the on-campus stadium we decided to bring the dance team down on the football sideline as well. I get asked a lot, “What does it take to win at the highest level?” To win the championship you’ve got to keep everything in the air and hit your routine. It’s two minutes and 30 seconds, and you have to be perfect. There is no do-over. It’s rarely about the most talented team. It’s really about who can hit their routine in that moment on that night under those lights and with all of that pressure. It’s so important to be open to change. Nothing stays the same - strategies are always evolving. It’s the same for us. You can’t be stuck on how you’ve always done things. Our UCF culture embraces being the disruptors. Change is our middle name. More than the championships and success, it’s my goal that members of our team leave with life skills. After college the ability to go out in the world and apply the discipline, structure and teamwork that they have learned from being a part of our team toward success in life. That is what our program is about. Learning to work together with people from different parts of the country and different backgrounds provides such an opportunity for growth. I’ve had members of our team tell me, “This program has changed my life. If you can make it four years here in this program, you can do anything.” I believe it is the camaraderie of a team environment and our emphasis on life skills that sets them up for success in life after college - it is a launching pad to bigger and better things ahead.

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Game Day Experience and Traditions

Big 12, here we come. Find out what to wear for specific games on social media. Embrace the electric atmosphere with several official tailgating spots around campus - Memory Mall being the most iconic. Celebrate responsibly. Let’s pack the Bounce House! A fan favorite since debuting in 2017, this matchup honors UCF’s origin story as SpaceU - founded to fuel our nation’s space program and help put humans on the moon. Tailgating before Knights football games is one of the most celebrated traditions at UCF. It offers a special time for reunions of family, friends and alumni. UCF is pleased to host these gatherings and welcome all of our guests to campus. We expect all fans to celebrate responsibly and adhere to the rules while on campus. Whether you’re attending your first Knights game or have been a longtime season ticket holder, there’s a lot to know about game day on campus. Protecting campus is the UCF Police Department’s top priority, so if you see activity that looks suspicious, say something. From the first kickoff on a converted cow pasture to buzzer-beater shots, grand slams and championship cheer routines, UCF Knights have been building momentum on the field and the court since our athletic debut. And whether we were underdogs or the overwhelming favorites, you’ve been cheering us on every step of the way. The Charge On Fund is your way to provide unrestricted charitable support for UCF Athletics and maintain the significant momentum built over the past years.

2024-2025 Cheer/Dance Roster

Here is the UCF Cheer/Dance Roster:

Tyrique Burney, Sophomore, Jacksonville, Fla.
Sydney Locke, Sophomore, Deltona, Fla.
Samuel Stofsky, Sophomore, Fleming Island, Fla.
Philip Remington, Sophomore, Land o Lakes, Fla.
Payton Walker, Sophomore, Castle Rock, Colo.
Nevaeh Vercellona, Sophomore, Springhill, Fla.
Mason Clewis, Sophomore, Tampa, Fla.
Kailey Ewen, Sophomore, Westfield, Ind.
Jacob Brown, Sophomore, Gulf Breeze, Fla.
Isabella Ricart, Sophomore, Melbourne, Fla.
Gabrielle Kreke, Sophomore, Effingham, Ill.
Eliza LaBelle, Sophomore, Green Cove Springs, Fla.
Ayana Luengo, Sophomore, Plantation, Fla.
Amari Carswell, Sophomore, Chipley, Fla.
Adrian Bermudez, Junior, St. Cloud, Fla.
Alexandra Francey, Senior, Weston, Fla.
Austin Roberts, Junior, New Orleans, La.
Austin Bennett, Senior, Sanford, Fla.
Ayden Perez-Mejia, Junior, Plant City, Fla.
Henry Roslow, Senior, Bartow, Fla.
John Starnes, Senior, Fleming Island, Fla.
Isabella Pereira, Sophomore, Sanford, Fla.
Justin Pulaski, Senior, Plant City, Fla.
Alexandra Smith, Junior, Oviedo, Fla.
Angelia Deska, Sophomore, Macomb, Mich.
Kyle Gaedgens, Senior, Hudson, Fla.
Anya Stavola, Sophomore, Middletown, N.J.
Logan Garner, Junior, Fleming Island, Fla.
Brooklynn Sander, Sophomore, O'Fallon, MO.
Marcie Billings, Junior, Edwardsville, Ill.
Devynn Sunderman, Senior, Oviedo, Fla.
Ella D'Angelo, Junior, Spring Hill, Fla.
Emma Taggart, Sophomore, Orlando, Fla.
Meghan Charlton, Junior, Niceville, Fla.
Gabriella Joyce, Sophomore, Maitland, Fla.
Ilyssa Ramirez, Junior, Brandon, Fla.
Nathanael Pierre Louis, Junior, Westlake, Fla.
Isabela Orsini-Aviles, Sophomore, Winter Garden, Fla.
Nicholas Mourawad, Junior, Boca Raton, Fla.
Kiley McDermott, Sophomore, Windermere, Fla.
Mikhaila Latourelle, Junior, Monson, Mass.
Morgan Watts, Sophomore, Lithia, Fla.
Rylee Powell, Junior, Crestview, Fla.
Skyler DiSerafino, Senior, Orlando, Fla.
Sophia Wuttke, Junior, Miami, Fla.
Alexandra Woznyk, Freshman, Durham, Conn.
Ava Johnson, Freshman, Orlando, Fla.
Hazel Jones, Freshman, Saint Augustine, Fla.
Kylee Orecchio, Freshman, Tappan, N.Y.
Lily Arnold, Freshman, Nolensville, Tenn.
Mallorie Byard, Freshman, Plymouth, Minn.
Victoria Mineo, Freshman, Davie, Fla.
Gavin Holmgren, Freshman, Longwood, Fla.
George Malacos, Freshman, Hudson, Fla.
Hailey Swartz, Freshman, Lithia, Fla.
Helena Gonzalez, Freshman, Vero Beach, Fla.
Jay Greer, Freshman, Powell, Ohio
Jayda Redden, Freshman, Johns Creek, Ga.
Jordan Critch, Freshman, Fleming Island, Fla.
Kelsey Benkel, Freshman, Orlando, Fla.
Kenlyn Prescott, Freshman, St.

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