The University of Hawai'i Cheer Squad has earned the No. 1 seed in the West Region heading into the UCA National Championship competition for the third straight year in a row.

The championship is held in January in Orlando, Fla., but won't be aired on ESPN until late February. Having the top seed in the region means the squad is able to go directly to the final round without having to compete in the semifinals. The top seed also gets a paid bid, which includes travel, hotel and entry fees.

The UH Cheer Team has placed in the Top 10 nationally the past four years, including as high as third in 2005. UH head coach Mike Baker spoke briefly about the upcoming championship and the team, "I knew this summer that we had our work cut out for us," said Baker. "But I could see that this year's team was very close knit, and (now) I have a hard time imagining a team that has worked harder, or better, than us."

So far, only the national qualifiers from each region have been posted.

Tryout information for next year's cheer squad will be posted shortly.

-UH-