In their debut showcase on Jan. 28, the team performed the four quarter routines to introduce themselves and their sport to the community and prepare for a tournament. With the stands full of students supporting the new sports team, the athletes executed dynamic stunts, high-flying pyramids and powerful jumps with precision and strength.
STUNT is an intense face-off between two teams that perform skill based routines across multiple categories. Stemming from cheer, STUNT focuses on the technical and athletic aspects of cheerleading rather than crowd-leading or entertainment.
One of the fastest growing female competitive sports in the country, there are four quarters in a STUNT competition. Partner stunts, pyramids and tosses, jumps and tumbling, and a team routine. Both teams perform the same routine side-by-side. Each skill category is ranked in predetermined skill levels that increase in difficulty. The team that wins possession in the round selects the level for the next routine, allowing for strategic play. Point deductions occur for falls, mistakes or timing errors.
The stunts are performed on a cheerleading mat with a specific boundary, and athletes must stay within the performance area. Unlike traditional cheerleading, STUNT has a defined scoring structure. Judges determine the scores based on execution, technique and synchronization. In the end, the team with the highest score wins.
The National Collegiate Athletics Association voted STUNT as an emerging sport in August 2023. As a newly established team in a rapidly growing sport, the roster is largely made up of freshmen. This season also marked a period of transition as the team welcomed a new coach, navigating the challenges of team building and practicing under new leadership.
“We would not be where we are without Sean (Garland),” freshman Harley Ford said. “He came in October and built it from the ground up. Most people on the team had never even cheered before. He just brings the best out of us.”
In his first year at SEU, Sean Garland is coaching both cheer and STUNT with over 25 years of coaching experience. Garland started at SEU in September and began STUNT coaching in October.
“I’ve done this for so long,” head coach Garland said. “I’m so excited for the team to feel the rewards of their training paying off. They’ve been training so hard.”
Garland believes that having a younger team helps build a foundation within the sport in the upcoming years, and stresses the importance of that foundation within this new sport.
“We have a strong recruiting class coming in next year to add to our current freshman,” Garland said. “It will make for a strong young team who will grow into the leaders in the future.”
USA Cheer created STUNT as an opportunity for colleges, universities and high schools to meet the strict Title IX requirements of a sport. The NCAA recognizes STUNT as an emerging sport, with efforts underway to gain full championship status.
The Hilltoppers first ever competition is Feb. 21 against George Fox University in the Dallas Baptist University Tournament. Their first competition in Austin against Ottawa University Arizona will be on March 7 at 5 p.m. in the RAC, as the first round of a tournament hosted by St. Edward’s University.
