LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Tears of joy flowed freely for cheer coach Nikia Hovey and her daughter, Giselle at Walt Disney World Resort as CALI COED (The California All-Stars – San Marcos) celebrated their first championship at The Cheerleading Worlds at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on Monday, April 24 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The team defeated 13 other squads from around the world to win the International Open Small Coed – Level 6 division. The victory also marked the first world championship for Hovey in her final year as a full-time cheer coach.
The rise to the top of The Cheerleading Worlds was extra special for Hovey who got to lift the trophy with her daughter, Giselle Hovey, a high school senior on the team. It was the final competition together for the mother-daughter duo as Nikia ends her 23-year career as a full-time cheer coach, while Giselle plans to cheer at Hawaii Pacific University in the fall.
The championship celebration was a decade in the making for CALI COED. The team qualified for the event at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex every year since 2013, taking home three bronze medals during that time.
Link: The Cheerleading Worlds – Complete Final Results
International Open Small Coed – Level 6 Results:
- The California All Stars-San Marcos CALI COED (USA) – 139.8
- Cheer Athletics – Plano Swooshcats (USA) – 136.15
- CheerForce San Diego Blackout (USA) – 133
- Gems Athletics Diamonds (Canada) – 126
- Coventry Dynamite Ammunition (England) – 122.75
- Pirates Athletics Golden Pearl (Canada) – 121.2
- Flames Cheerleading Rivals (Canada) – 120.85
- Oxygen Allstars Immortal (Australia) – 118.7
- Toxic Cheer Weapons (Australia) – 117.2
- Outlaws Allstars Diamonds (Australia) – 109.05
- Cheerleader Club Leipzig CCL Fierce (Germany) – 99.45
- X3 Cheer & Gymnastics Academy X3 Black Diamonds (Mexico) – 91.65
- Arctic Cheer Avalanches Titans (Sweden) – 90.8
- Evolution Athletics EVO6 (England) – 90.2