By: Nick Pope: Sports Information Director
TANNER, Ala. — The Life University competitive cheer team closed out the conference season this weekend at the Southern States Athletic Conference Competitive Cheer Championship, competing in both the SSAC Roundup and the conference championship event.
Life opened the weekend Friday at the SSAC Roundups, finishing third out of seven teams in the second round with a score of 82.07. The Running Eagles placed just ahead of Brewton-Parker (82.03) and behind only Xavier University of Louisiana (90.43) and University of Mobile (90.30) in the final regular-season conference competition.
The Running Eagles returned to the mat Saturday for the 2026 SSAC Competitive Cheer Championship, earning a strong final score of 85.85 to finish sixth out of nine teams in a super competitive field that saw seven programs eclipse the 80-point mark.
Xavier claimed the conference title with a score of 97.95, securing the SSAC's automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship later this month.
Life also saw several student-athletes recognized in the conference postseason awards. Ben Fernandez, Savana Palos, Sydney Palos, and Victoria Crouchet were all named to the SSAC All-Conference Team for their performances during the season.
In the classroom, Victoria Crouchet, Benjamin Fernandez, and Kayah Thomas earned spots on the SSAC All-Academic Team.
Head coach Sara Killough shared her thoughts on the team's performance over the weekend, stating, "This team showed tremendous heart at the SSAC Championships. The team put together strong performance all weekend, hitting both routines with zero deductions, which is a huge accomplishment and it reflects the work they've put in all season. I'm proud of how the represent Life, and we're excited to take that momentum into NCA Nationals in Daytona next month."
