We Are the Champions!

Elite tumbling, stunting, basket tosses and pyramids propel Ole Miss Cheer to the top.

Written by Emily Welly | Photos Courtesy Varsity Spirit / Flow Cheer

In January, Ole Miss Cheer won the 2025 Division 1A All Girl Cheer national championship at the Universal Cheerleaders Association College Nationals at Walt Disney World Resort.

It was the first national championship win for Ole Miss in that category. Ole Miss Cheer also competed in the D1A Coed Cheer and DIA Spirit Program - Game Day categories.

We asked Skylar Byram Casey, coordinator of athletic spirit groups and head cheer coach, and Rachel Levetzow, director of spirit squads and Rebelettes coach, to tell us more about this huge achievement and the Ole Miss cheer and spirit squads.

Q: What is special about this national title?

A: This national title is special because it is the first D1A national title for our program outside of Game Day, which is remarkable to establish and implement this legacy, standard and expectation of greatness with success!

Q: How does the “traditional all girl” category differ from the others at competition?

A: This category is the elite skill category that consists of elite tumbling with twisting, elite stunting with flipping/spinning/etc., elite basket tosses with spinning, elite pyramids with flipping/spinning/etc., and a huge skill set throughout the routine of performing hard and difficult skills while making it look easy in the execution and exciting confidence and performance aspect. The D1A traditional routine has a small portion of a cheer in it, with the majority of skillset.

Q: Ole Miss ranked well in other categories as well. Were the same girls competing on multiple squads or are different athletes on each?

A: Ole Miss achieved 4th place in the 2025 D1A Spirit Program – Game Day category and 9th place in the 2025 D1A Coed Cheer category (which is the traditional routine). There were eight All Girl athletes who competed both Spirit Program – Game Day and D1A All Girl: Emma Allen; Savannah Hardin; Malina Sayaovong; Madeline Kepner; Sydney Gordin; Virginia Williams; Krislyn Scroggins; and Kennedi Harris.

Q: Is Universal Cheerleaders Association College Nationals the primary competition you attend, or are there others?

A: This is the only competition that our teams attend and compete at! We have had a partner stunt group go compete partner stunt at National Cheerleading Association College National Championship which takes place in Daytona in April. However this is just a group, not a full team.

Q: Is additional preparation or training required for competition?

A: Yes! The Nationals Team is selected mid-October. Not every athlete within the spirit program will compete or attend Nationals. After selection, each team has their own choreography practices (outside of their required regular practices/games. This typically takes place on a bye weekend or away game weekend.) Each team will have another national practice weekend during a bye weekend or away game that team is not traveling to cheer. They will also practice over Thanksgiving break and winter break leading up to Nationals.

Are You Ready?

The 2025-2026 season is well underway. Here’s a little about who you’ll see on the field and on the sidelines this fall:

• Three teams make up the Ole Miss spirit squads: All Girl Cheer (32 athletes); Co-ed Cheer (30 athletes); and the Rebelettes (30 athletes). All three of these teams are a part of the university’s athletic department.

• The spirit squads said goodbye to 11 graduating seniors from 2024-2025. This year’s squads include 8 rookies on All Girl Cheer and 10 rookies on Co-ed Cheer.

• The schedules are intense. Cheer teams practice three times a week with lifting twice a week. Rebelettes practice three times a week with lifting twice a week plus one practice a week during the fall at the Band Hall with the Pride of the South. All of the athletes also put in their own work hours outside of practice, plus they balance games, appearances, clinics and more.

• All of that work — plus preparation for Nationals — continues throughout the year. “Spirit does not have a ‘primary season’ we are full year-round,” said Skylar Byram Casey, coordinator of athletic spirit groups and head cheer coach.