In 1998, former SJU Cheerleading head coach Lisa Moroski ’85 took both the coed and women’s teams to Daytona Beach, Florida, to compete at the National Cheerleading Association (NCA) College Championship for the first time.

In a St. Joe’s yearbook from 1998 found in the St. Joe’s Archives Collection, a page dedicated to cheerleading features photos of these two historic teams, including action shots of team members practicing and cheering at basketball games. A roster also lists the two teams’ total 32 players, with 27 women and five men across the two teams.

There have been cheerleaders at St. Joe’s since at least the early 1930s, based on a search of St. Joe’s yearbooks in the archives. Back then, cheerleaders were all men, as the university did not admit women until 1971. Over the years, St. Joe’s cheerleading program has grown along with the sport nationally. 

Moroski said the St. Joe’s cheerleading program worked tirelessly to compete at the national level in 1998.

“Neither team made it to finals this first year, but as a program, having the opportunity to go down there to compete and represent the university was an accomplishment of its own,” Moroski wrote in response to questions from the Hawk.

Renee Poupard ’99, a member of the 1998 coed team, wrote that being on the first competitive team was a surreal experience. 

“We went in wide-eyed, not knowing what to expect,” Poupard wrote in response to written questions from The Hawk. She added that “you can never quite recapture that first feeling of awe and excitement.”

After she graduated, Poupard came back to coach with Moroski until 2012.

“It was amazing to see the team grow and develop as I went from competitor to coach,” Poupard wrote.

Eleven years after their first attempt, the team made history again. In 2019, they returned to Daytona Beach, winning the NCA title under current head coach Luaren Hanos ’04.

Carlina Hershock is a member of the 2024-2025 SJU Cheerleading Team.