GUELPH, Ont. - The Laurier Golden Hawks cheerleading team defended its titles this past weekend, capturing first place in both the All-Girl Game Day and Premier All-Girl divisions at the PCA Collegiate Open at the Sleeman Centre in Guelph.
Laurier opened the day in the All-Girl Game Day division with a strong first routine, posting a score of 94.7. After identifying areas for improvement during a quick turnaround, the Golden Hawks delivered their best performance of the season in the second run, earning a 98.5. The combined total of 193.2 was the highest score of the competition, comfortably ahead of the Windsor Lancers (174.4) and Brock Badgers (172.1).
The Premier All-Girl division followed, where Laurier recorded a steady first run with just 0.5 in deductions for a score of 85.7, putting the team in first place entering the final round ahead of Memorial University and Brock. After reviewing the routine, the Golden Hawks made adjustments — including adding an extra basket toss — before taking the floor again.
The changes paid off. Laurier completed a clean, zero-deduction second run, scoring 69.9 for a combined total of 155.6 to secure another gold medal. Western finished second at 141.1, followed by Memorial (139.5), Guelph (139.1) and Brock (137.9).
Laurier co-head coach Carli Thomas credited the team's focus following a busy stretch of competition.
"This team had a very quick turnaround after returning from University Worlds on January 20th," Thomas said. "Despite missing two practices due to weather, the athletes really dialed in their focus and pushed hard. We are incredibly proud of the team and their accomplishments this season at both Nationals and University Worlds, and we're excited to see the continued growth of the program moving forward."
With the result, Laurier's Premier All-Girl squad became the first program since 2014 to win back-to-back national titles, marking the first time the Golden Hawks have accomplished the feat since their previous repeat championship in 2014.
Laurier will host spring tryouts for the 2026-27 season on May 9. Interested athletes can contact cheerleading@laurierathletics.com for more information.
