Kansas City, MO – The University of the Cumberlands cheer team continued its historic 2026 campaign with five student-athletes earning NAIA All-American honors, highlighted by two First Team selections, the NAIA announced Tuesday afternoon. 

Hannah King and Ryleigh Bays were both named First Team All-Americans, marking the first time since current assistant coach, Phebe McHargue in 2020 that a Patriot has earned First Team honors. The duo also represents the first time in program history that Cumberlands has had multiple First Team selections in the same season. 

King, a freshman side base from Russell Springs, Kentucky, capped off a standout debut season. She was named Mid-South Conference First Team, MSC Cheerleader of the Year, and MSC Freshman of the Year, while helping lead the Patriots to a conference championship and top-four national finish. 

Bays, a freshman backspot from Corbin, Kentucky, also made an immediate impact in her first season with the program, earning First Team All-American recognition as a key contributor to UC's success on the national stage. 

Also earning national recognition were Bella Smith and Ella Johnson, who were both named Second Team All-Americans. Smith, a freshman from Cincinnati, Ohio, and Johnson, a freshman from Knoxville, Tennessee, played important roles throughout the season as Cumberlands put together one of the strongest campaigns in program history. 

Rounding out the honorees was Kaylie Proffitt, a junior flyer from London, Kentucky, who earned Third Team All-American honors for the second time in her career after also receiving the distinction in 2025. 

The group of honorees helped lead Cumberlands to a historic season that included a Mid-South Conference Championship, a program-record score of 95.08, and a fourth-place finish at the NAIA National Championship. 

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