Former Saratoga Blue Streak Gymnast Wins NCA College Cheer National Championship
Photo provided.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fl. —After a storied high school gymnastics career, Ava Dallas (Saratoga Springs High School – Class of 2021) traded in her leotards for cheer pom-poms as a member of the University of New Hampshire Cheer Team.
Dallas and her Wildcat teammates recently won the NCA College Cheer National Championship in the Advanced All-Girl Division I category held in Daytona Beach, Florida from April 6 to April 8. UNH scored 97.49 points, besting six other teams in their division from all across the country.
On the last day of the competition, UNH shared the bandshell stage with the likes of Navarro and Trinity Valley of Netflix series “CHEER” fame, as well as the other National Championship teams. UNH was victorious again, scoring 97.78 points and taking home the 2023 All-Girl Grand Champion title, a first in school history.
Dallas was a four-year letter winner for the Blue Streaks gymnastics team as well as captain both her junior and senior year. She was a Section 2 All-Around Champion and the leading Section 2 all-around gymnast each year that she competed at the NYSPHSAA Gymnastics Championships (2018, 2019, 2020). She currently holds the school record on the balance beam (9.60).
The UNH cheer team is a powerhouse in college cheer circles. They previously won the NCA College Cheer National Championship in 2017. Dallas’ tumbling skills were a key component to the Wildcat’s winning routine.
Dallas said, “It was a little bit of an adjustment going from high school gymnastics to competitive college cheer, but I worked really hard on my jumps and this year was incorporated as a base on some stunts and pyramids. All the hours spent at practice and going to exhibitions leading up to Nationals feels so worth it now. I will covet the memories I have made with my teammates this magical year.”
Dallas is no stranger to National Championships. As a 12-year-old, she won the 2015 YMCA National Gymnastics Championship (Wichita, Kansas) in the Level 4 Senior Division.