BUCS Youth Cheer Elite Squad named 2026 One Prime Global Finals Champion

“The 2025-2026 season marked a historic milestone for BUCS Youth Cheer as the organization launched its very first competition cheer squad. BUCS Youth Cheer is a recreational cheer program serving athletes ages 4-14 and supports BUCS Youth Football, a member of the Tri-State Youth Football League.

In June, athletes participated in tryouts for the newly formed BUCS Youth Cheer Elite Squad. For most of the team, competition cheer was an entirely new experience, with only one athlete having previous competition cheer experience. Despite their lack of experience, the team embraced the challenge and committed themselves to learning and growing together.

The squad attended choreography camp at Integrity Elite Allstars in Hixson in July, where they began building the foundation for what would become an extraordinary season. Through months of hard work, dedication, and countless hours of practice, the athletes continuously improved their routine, adding more advanced stunts, tumbling, and technical elements as the season progressed.

The Elite Squad opened its competition season in September at Comet’s Out of This World Competition at Rossville Middle School, where they captured both 1st Place and Grand Champion awards. They followed that performance with a 2nd Place finish at the TYSA Hit Zero Cheer Competition at Lebanon High School in Lebanon, Tennessee, and another 2nd Place finish at Rally Between the Ridges at Ridgeland High School.

The team continued to build momentum throughout the season, earning 1st Place at the Scenic City Cheer Showdown at the Chattanooga Convention Center. At the Level Up Southern Showdown, also held at the Convention Center, the squad earned another 1st Place finish along with a partial-paid bid to The One Prime Finals.

Their success continued at the Sunny Summit Cheer Competition at LaFayette High School, where they captured 1st Place and earned an At-Large Bid to the Nations Championship in Orlando, Florida. The squad later competed at the Level Up Spring Break Bash, earning yet another 1st Place finish and a fully paid bid to The One Prime Finals. They also returned to Comet’s Out of This World Cheer Competition and once again claimed 1st Place award.

The season culminated at The One Prime Finals in Orlando, Florida May 2-3rd, where BUCS Youth Cheer Elite Squad delivered two outstanding performances, hitting zero deductions on both competition days. The team earned 1st Place and defeated their closest competitor by an impressive 10.52 points.

The One Prime Finals hosts championship events at four locations across the country. The highest-scoring winners from each location advance to a final evaluation, where their performances are reviewed by a new panel of judges to determine the overall Global Finals Champion.

Following that review, the BUCS Youth Cheer Elite Squad was named the 2026 One Prime Global Finals Champion in the Traditional Recreation Level 1 Division, an incredible accomplishment for a first-year competition team.

This team worked hard from the very beginning, we continually developed our skills, increased the difficulty of our routine, and challenged ourselves with more advanced stunts and tumbling as the season progressed. The athletes trusted the process, put in the work, and mastered those skills. This championship was earned through blood, sweat, and tears, and I could not be more proud of every single one of them.

For a team that began the season with little competition experience, the journey from first-year squad to Global Finals Champion is a testament to perseverance, teamwork, dedication, and heart. The future is bright for BUCS Youth Cheer as these young athletes have set a championship standard for seasons to come.”

This statement was made by Coach Alix Finley, Director of BUCS Youth Cheer:

“I could not be more proud of these athletes and their families. What makes this championship so special is that most of these girls had little to no competition cheer experience when we started. They trusted the process, worked hard, pushed through challenges, and proved that dedication and heart can take you farther than experience alone.

This team didn’t just win a championship, they built a culture. They showed what can happen when young athletes commit to improving every day, support one another, and refuse to quit. Their success belongs not only to them, but also to the parents who sacrificed their time, supported their athletes, and believed in our vision from the very beginning.

For any athlete who is interested in competition cheer but may not be ready for All Stars yet, for those who have tried out for middle school and didn’t make the team, or for those preparing for future middle school and high school tryouts, BUCS Youth Cheer is the place to develop those skills, build confidence, and gain the experience needed to succeed. We are creating opportunities for athletes to learn, grow, and compete at a high level while still enjoying the positive environment of recreational cheer.

This season proved that champions are not born, they are developed through hard work, commitment, and opportunity. If your goal is to become a stronger athlete, a better teammate, and ultimately a champion, then BUCS Youth Cheer is where that journey can begin. We are just getting started, and the future is incredibly bright.”

— Coach Alix Finley

Director of BUCS Youth Cheer