A few Owensboro natives helped power Georgetown College to a national cheer championship this weekend, capping a rapid rise that saw the program climb from a sixth-place finish last year to a UCA title in the Open Small Coed Game Day Division.
Georgetown entered the season aiming simply to reach the finals. After finishing second in the semifinals — just 0.2 points behind Coastal Alabama Community College — the team leaned heavily on judges’ feedback heading into the final round.
“We tightened up our motions, kept the energy alive, and made sure everyone in the room could feel the energy on the mat,” said freshman Keeli Hankey, one of four Owensboro natives on the team. “Gameday is a routine that is based off judges’ opinion, energy, and sharpness. That was a lot of our corrections from the judges after the semifinals. Those little things, I guess, set us over the top.”
The adjustments paid off. Georgetown won the national title with a score of 89.6667, finishing 3.6 points ahead of William Carey University.
Other Owensboro natives on the team include junior Bre Griffith, as well as Halley Mills and Jasmine Buck. The turnaround stems from an increased focus on teamwork and each other, and Griffith credits the deep bonds formed at the beginning of the season.
“Honestly, it was such a crazy experience because we came from sixth place to now being a National Champion,” Griffith said. “Our team has never felt this close before. It’s great. I think once we realized how close we were to first place going into finals, it was the turning point. We just turned it up even more and took it home.”
Georgetown’s season is not finished. The team now shifts focus to the NAIA season, where it will attempt to defend its Big South title and pursue another national championship.
“Many people assume NAIA is where the scrubs go, but we want people to know we are good,” Griffith said. “Just because it’s NAIA and there isn’t DI, DII, or DIII attached to our names, many of us are very talented here. I thought it was really cool to win a national championship and be able to put Georgetown College further on the map and let people know there are strong athletes here.”
