The University of Alabama all-girl and coed cheer squads both earned top-three finishes at this weekend’s Universal Cheerleading Association national championship, with the coed squad placing third and the all-girl team placing as the national runner-up.

The all-girl team finished as the runner-up to national champion Indiana University. The Hoosiers have won three of the last four national titles, with their lone loss coming last year to the Crimson Tide who won its first national title. The Tide coed team, who was also defending a national championship from last season, finished third behind second-place UCF and title-winners Kentucky.

“We are obviously disappointed that it’s not a top finish for both teams,” said head coach Jennifer Thrasher, “but anytime you have a chance to compete for the University of Alabama you are proud to represent the Crimson Tide family. We worked hard but came up a little short. We are still very proud to finish in the top three in both divisions. A lot of credit to Indiana and Kentucky, they are both excellent programs.”

The three-day competition took place at ESPN's Wide World of Sports. Teams from across the country participated in the prestigious event at HP Fieldhouse. Cheerleaders were judged based on stunting, tumbling skills, crowd-leading abilities and overall performance.

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