DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The Elmira College cheerleading team began the 2021 National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) College Nationals in the preliminary round on Thursday afternoon in sunny Daytona Beach, Florida.

Out of the three teams competing for the All-Girl Division III title, the Soaring Eagles ended the prelims with the second-best raw score at 93.77. However, EC was hit with 2.50 points worth of deductions and sits third in the standings with a 91.27.

Alma College, the 2019 national runner-up, was tagged with a 1.25 deduction, but leads the All-Girl Division III bracket entering Friday's final round with a 94.92. Brenau University barely snuck past Elmira for second place, edging the Soaring Eagles by eight-hundredths of a point at 91.35.

The Soaring Eagles' routine started off strong with a trio of well-executed basket tosses, followed by running and standing tumbling sequences. Elmira hit all four partner stunts and arabesques in the early portion of their performance and later lifted all four flyers for their heel stretches. The Soaring Eagles completed both Swedish fall pyramids in the second half of the routine and rebounded at the end with a high-energy dance series.

In Their Own Words…
Head Coach Amber Myers on Elmira's preliminary round performance…
"We are disappointed with ourselves today but are still so thankful for being able to be here for this experience. We live to fight another day and are ready to vibe tomorrow and hit a routine we are proud of."
 

2021 NCA College National Preliminary Round Scores
Place	Team	Raw Score	Deductions	Performance Score
1	Alma	96.1667	1.25	94.9167
2	Brenau	92.1	0.75	91.35
3	Elmira	93.7667	2.50	92.2667

Up Next
The final round of the 2021 NCA College Nationals in the Daytona Beach Band Shell takes place on Friday, April 9. The Soaring Eagles are scheduled to perform at approximately 4:28 p.m.