LINA AND OSCAR

By Brandon Petersen

At this point, Westcliff Cheer isn't breaking through — it's continuing the standard it built.

Under head coach Eric Anderson, the Warriors have already claimed multiple national championships, including two titles in the last three seasons. They've turned an NAIA program into a powerhouse that regularly outperforms full-scholarship, fully-funded NCAA giants.

And now, they've added another accomplishment to a résumé that's starting to read like a dynasty.

This week, Westcliff athletes Oscar Perez and Lina Madrid qualified for the 2026 UCA Partner Stunt College Nationals in Orlando — the most prestigious partner-stunt stage in the country. Their video qualifying score of 90.2 placed them 10th overall in a field of more than 80 entries across stunt divisions.

That ranking isn't just impressive — it's historic.

Lina and Oscar are not only the top NAIA partner-stunt team in the nation, they are believed to be the first NAIA duo ever to qualify for UCA Nationals in this event. They'll compete on January 16 against longstanding Division I powerhouses: Weber State, Louisville, UCF, Morehead State, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Purdue, N.C. State — programs with ESPN budgets, scholarship pipelines, and decades of national fame.

And yet, Westcliff is right there with them. Again.

"I'm incredibly proud of both of them," Anderson said. "They've trained relentlessly, and to see their hard work recognized at this level is incredibly rewarding."

For Anderson, this is another line on a growing list of achievements that has permanently elevated Westcliff Cheer's national reputation.

What was once an upstart program is now a fixture at the top of the sport — winning titles, qualifying for elite stages, and producing athletes who stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the most resourced teams in the country.

"We're stepping onto another national stage," Anderson said. "This group continues to show that Westcliff belongs in every championship conversation."

The TV cameras, the lights, the big names — none of it is new anymore.

This is the level Westcliff Cheer lives at now.

And they're not slowing down.