The following story is a student submission from UWindsor student and aspiring journalist Molly Vaillancourt.

For the first time in over a decade, the University of Windsor Lancers cheerleading team is returning to the national stage.

On Feb. 7, the Lancer Cheer team will compete in the Power Cheerleading Athletics (PCA) National Collegiate Open in Guelph, Ont. The event is billed as Canada's premier varsity cheerleading competition.

Lancer Cheer's entry marks the program's first appearance at a national competition since 2015. Eleven years later, the Lancers are ready to reclaim their place among Canada's top university cheer programs and bring their school spirit back into competitive action.

"No matter the outcome, our athletes should feel great pride in their accomplishments, commitment and the joy they bring to the University of Windsor community," says Angelia Lapico, Lancer Cheer president and captain who is taking part in her third season.

"Getting the opportunity to lead this team has been a great honour and I am endlessly grateful for the trust and support our athletes have given me."

Lancer cheerleaders will compete in the Game Day division against Brock University and Wilfrid Laurier University.

Each team will perform a two-and-a-half-minute routine consisting of a band chant, offence or defence sideline cheer and a fight song. Designed to replicate the excitement of game-day environments, performances aim to ignite the crowd using poms, flags, megaphones and dynamic skills. Squads will be evaluated by a panel of experienced judges on synchronization, precision, crowd engagement, jumps, tumbling, stunts and overall performance quality.

In 2022, UWindsor alumnae Selena De Rose and Krysten Williams revived Lancers cheerleading, working to reestablish it as a respected, independent sport. Their efforts laid the foundation for the program's growth and made this historic competitive debut possible.

"It feels surreal," said Jennika Mitchell, Lancer Cheer vice-president and co-captain.

"We've been pushing to compete for years, and in two weeks, we finally will."

Lancer Cheer athletes have committed to an intense training schedule with twice-daily practices – 6 a.m. mornings followed by evening sessions after classes – in preparation for the nationals.

This season also marked another milestone first for the program as the team participated in Lancer Giving Day. The one-day fundraising campaign saw the team place ninth out of 17 Lancer sports programs, with 55 donors contributing $4,976 to support equipment purchases, competition costs and the team's continued development.

The Lancer Cheer team's national debut is not only a milestone for the program, but a statement about the athleticism, discipline and talent required to succeed in this female-dominated and often disrespected sport.

Fans are encouraged to support the Lancers in-person at Guelph's Sleeman Centre. For ticket information, visit the Power Cheerleading Athletics website.

By Molly Vaillancourt