Breanna Smith All-Decade Team

All-Decade Team: Cheerleading

By Sports Information

Williamsburg, KY – It could be argued that no program has finished the decade stronger or rewritten their record books more than the UC Cheerleading team.   With 32 MSC All-Conference recipients, two NAIA All-Americans, three conference stunt team winners, two MSC Cheerleaders of the Year, two MSC Champion of Character recipients and three coaches of the year the UC cheerleading team has compiled an impressive list of achievements over the past ten years.  In addition to those individual accolades, the Patriots have notched three MSC Conference titles, a pair of NAIA National Championship appearances, and a Mideast Regional Championship leaving them competitive at both the conference and national levels over the past decade. With all of these accolades and honors, the one student-athlete that will represent the cheerleading team on UC’S All-Decade Team is flyer Breanna Smith.

Smith is one of the most decorated cheerleaders in program history. Smith’s stellar career that spanned from 2016-2020 includes being named the MSC Cheerleader of the Year twice, a three-time MSC First Team All-Conference selection, and becoming the first Patriot to earn All-American honors in program history.  She was also part of two conference championship teams, the program's first regional title, a pair of national tournament appearances and was part of an All-Women’s Team Stunt Group that won at the conference championship.

“I am honestly speechless. I never thought about winning individual titles when working with the team. When I won Cheerleader of the Year as a freshman and sophomore I was over the moon with excitement, however, I can proudly say that this is my biggest and most prized accomplishment in my 15-year cheerleading career. I always came into practice thinking about how I could better myself in ways that would help the team out. If it wasn’t for my team constantly pushing me further past my limits and constantly cheering me on, I probably wouldn’t be the cheerleader that I am now. I will forever be grateful for them. For me, this validates all of the hard work and extra time I’ve put in this sport over the past 15 years. I am truly blessed and honored to be a part of the All-Decade team.”
– Breanna Smith

Smith saw success from the moment she stepped foot on campus during the 2017-2018 season.  Seeking their first MSC title since 2011, the Patriots came into the season determined to return to the top.  At the MSC championships, Cumberlands recorded a team score of 89.6 to capture the program’s second conference title. In addition to the team title, Smith teamed up with Lauren Stokes, Molly Lawson, and Amari Cotton to win the All-Women’s Stunt title with a score of 54.7 points.  For her efforts that season, Smith was named the MSC Cheerleader of the Year and was an MSC First Team All-Conference selection.   The freshman was also the first Patriot since Chris Mitchell in 2002 to be named Cheerleader of the Year.

“My favorite and most memorable moment from cheering at UC would be the 2017-18 Mid-South Conference Cheerleading Competition, my freshman year. We had worked long and hard to go out and perform the best routine that anyone had ever seen us perform. This was our year to prove to everyone that we had what it took to be champions. We had worked harder than ever before and it paid off. We walked out onto the mat and the fans were screaming louder than ever. The atmosphere was indescribable. That day was a clean sweep for the Cumberlands Cheer team that day.”
– Breanna Smith

The 2018-19 season saw UC declare cheerleading as an NAIA sport and the Patriots made the most of the opportunity competing in six competitions with an average score of 80.31. Cumberlands opened the season winning their first three dual meets averaging 80.13 points per win.  At the Mid-South Conference title, the Patriots notched a score of 80.8 to capture MSC titles in consecutive seasons.  In addition to the team success, Smith garnered MSC Cheerleader of the Year honors for the second straight season, making her just the third athlete in conference history and lone Patriot to earn this honor in back-to-back seasons.  At their first regional championship in program history, UC recorded a 78.33 in the final round to finish the competition with an overall score of 77.44 to place fourth a qualify for their first NAIA National Championship.  Smith also made program history becoming Cumberlands' first NAIA All-American as she named an NAIA All-American Honorable Mention. Smith and the Patriots capped off their historic season by notching a 69.31 score to finish sixth at their first national championship.

“Being the first individual All-American Honorable Mention was amazing. I am blessed that I had the opportunity to even try out. However, finding out that we had qualified for Nationals was an even better feeling. We had worked so long and so hard to get to this point, and it had paid off. The following year was an even better feeling. Not only did we qualify for Nationals, but we had also won our regionals to send us straight to the National Competition.
- Breanna Smith

Smith’s success continued in her junior season as the Patriots tallied the sixth-best qualifying score in the NAIA averaging 80.78 points over their six competitions.  UC opened its season at the Knight Show Cheer Competition, where they recorded a first and second-place finish in a field that featured five teams that competed at the 2019 NAIA National Championship.  The Patriots added a pair of dual meet wins over Life and Georgetown before scoring a season-high 83.96 at the Mid-South Conference Championship. At the NAIA Mideast Qualifier, Cumberlands overcame a first-round 73.90 score to notch an 83.38 in the finals and capture their first regional title in program history with an overall score of 81.01.  UC qualified for the 2020 NAIA National Championships, however, the championship were canceled due to the CoVID-19 pandemic. Smith closed out by being named an MSC First Team All-Conference cheerleader for the third straight season.

Smith is pursuing a degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Literature.  

The UC All-Decade Team was determined based on stats, awards & honors received, and significance to the program in addition to input for members of the UC Athletic Department. It will include one representative from every sport and be comprised of 29 student-athletes. The all-decade team looked at everything from the 2010-2011 season through the 2019-2020 season.