Arkansas Tech University coed cheer is going where no cheerleading squad from the institution has gone in 27 years: the National Cheerleading Association College National Championship in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Arkansas Tech will take its turn on the mat at 12:30 p.m. (CDT) Friday, April 10. A watch party will take place at ATU’s Ferguson Student Union.
Information about accessing the live stream is available at https://tv.varsity.com/articles/14479061-how-to-watch-2026-nca-nda-college-national-championship-varsity-tv.
Members of the ATU coed cheer team that will compete in Daytona Beach are seniors Kellie Archer of Mulberry, Taylor Darling of Nashville, Keller Keen of Paris and Meagan Lewison of Van Buren; juniors Jade Boen of Ozark, Abbi Crawford of Glenwood, Brock Skidmore of Bentonville and Raice Speaks of Coweta, Okla.; sophomores Abisai Martinez of Russellville, Valentina Molina-Perez of Neive, Colombia, and Vivica Smith of Imboden; and freshmen Jenna Carter of Sherwood, Joslyn Hewitt of Springdale, Lilly Keener of Lamar, Kennedy Stroud of Benton, Kelsi Thiessen of Springdale and Carlie Wheelus of Atkins. Freshman Kyndal Whitmore of Bentonville is the team’s alternate, while freshman Jynah Trotter of Russellville is fulfilling the role of energy leader.
“We have had many 6 a.m. practices…night practices…two-a-day practices,” said Darling, one of the ATU coed cheer captains. “It has been non-stop. We have been sore and fatigued, but we still showed up and tried our best. It has been a lot, but we would definitely do it again. We have pushed through, we have fought and we have remained positive. That’s all I can ask for…to show up and try for the rest of us like I try for you. You have to want to deal with a lot for this. We could have been done in March and gone on our happy way, but we all came together and decided we wanted to push ourselves as much as we possibly could. When I’m out there and so tired that I can feel my body shutting down in the middle of the routine…I look at my teammates and see them pushing through, then I pull it together and push through.”
ATU coed cheer began preparing choreography for NCA Nationals in February. Since then, in addition to developing and practicing their routine, team members have also participated in fundraising to help make the trip to Florida possible.
“For the past few years, we’ve always mentioned (NCA Nationals) and always wanted to go,” said Darling. “We love what we do on campus, but competing is an extra step for us and what we can do for ourselves. All of us are very competitive, and it just happened that this year was the year. The character and sportsmanship this team has had all season is really rare. When I think back on my years with Tech cheer, each year and each group has been a blessing in so many ways. This is one of the hardest-working freshman classes I’ve ever seen. They’ve been kind, willing to show up and jumped in to help without being asked. That, to me, speaks volumes.
“I take great pride in it and I’m so grateful that we get to do this,” continued Darling. “Cheerleading has changed my life. I’ve only been cheering for six years, and I’ve been blessed year after year with opportunities. No matter what happens, I will walk away happy because I was able to be there, see it in real time and hopefully open a door for people behind me to be able to do the same thing and, maybe, change the way people see cheerleading at Arkansas Tech.”
The ATU coed cheer team is coached by Krystal Shipp, who is also ATU instructor of curriculum and instruction and director of the ATU early childhood education program.
“I was here when (Shipp) came in three years ago, and she really changed, in a very great way, the perspective on our team,” said Darling. “We have upped the ante. When it comes to competing, I’m just so grateful that she fought for us and the opportunity to do so. She presented it as a question as to whether we wanted to do this. She never forced us to. She’s been there every step of the way, and we are all very grateful for her.”
NCA Nationals are a competition. Winners will be identified. But when the moment arrives for ATU coed cheer on Friday afternoon, Darling will know that just making it to that stage was a significant achievement for her and her teammates.
“I define success as showing up and doing it,” said Darling. “We have made so much progress, even in just the past month. I’ve done things for this routine I never thought I’d be able to do. Going and doing it to the best of our ability will be a win for me, and I’ll walk away happy.”
Learn more about ATU spirit squads at www.atu.edu/spirit.
