MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. | For the first time in school history, Florida Memorial University's cheer team is ranked among the top 10 of 67 programs in the country.

Led by head coach Ayana Harris, the team closed out the regular season at the first round of the SSAC Roundup Competition on March 6th with a score of 89.80, clinching a first-place victory. At the conference banquet that night, FMU received awards for five all-conference athletes.

"If you had told me a few years ago that this would be possible, I probably wouldn't have believed you," said Harris. "When we started the competitive cheer program at FMU, being ranked among the top 10 teams in the country felt like a distant dream. But these athletes believed, and they put in the work every single day to make it a reality. Their dedication, resilience, and commitment to each other have brought this program to a place many thought was impossible."

On March 7, the Lions entered the SSAC Conference Championship as the defending conference champions. Competing against a field of eight teams, they held their own and finished as first runner-up behind Xavier.

As mentioned previously, the Lions received awards for five all-conference athletes, along with all-academic and champions of character. The awards and winners are listed below:
 

Senior - Sierra Johnson - SSAC All Academic Team

Sophomore - Chaise Dowdell - Champion of Character 

All-Conference:
Freshman - Anaya George 
Freshman - Arianna Parker 
Freshman - Jordan Scimmons
Junior - Jamiyah West
Senior - Jayada Rouse 

"So proud of this team and everything they've accomplished," said Harris. "The journey continues!"

The Lions now await word on whether their season average and conference placement will be enough to secure a coveted at-large bid to the NAIA Nationals in Topeka, Kan. an invitation-only event featuring the top 15 programs in the nation.