On March 7th, 2026, Madonna Cheerleading set out to write history. After back-to-back-to-back record breaking weekends, the Crusaders had their eye on the top spot in the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference.
The preliminary round goal was clear; a clean, well-executed routine. Madonna Cheerleading is boasting a top difficulty range in Stunts, Pyramid, Basket Toss, and Jumps. The Crusaders performed 5th after their 2nd place seeding in the regular season and hit the best routine they have all year. With a new record 93.43 the Crusaders were sitting in first place after Pre-lims.
After a season of preaching consistency, Madonna Cheerleading had one routine left to do. The finals routine had to mimic the same execution to stay on top. The Crusaders finished with a feeling no one will ever be able to describe. "It was a feeling I have never felt before. We all knew it was a possibility that it was the last one, and for the seniors, it could've been the last one ever. When finishing the routine, that wasn't even a thought in my head anymore. Feeling the energy and looking at my teammates I knew that routine had gotten us somewhere. Hugging all of my best friends, and feeling their energy, was a feeling of overwhelming pride. It felt like we finally showed everyone what Madonna Cheer is capable of." recalls Senior
Natalie Richards.
With a finals routine score of 92.22 and a combined score of 92.52, the Crusaders narrowly topped Lourdes University.
| School |
Prelims |
Finals |
Total Score |
| Madonna |
93.43 |
92.22 |
92.52 |
| Lourdes |
87.68 |
92.28 |
91.13 |
| Siena Heights |
88.55 |
83.00 |
84.39 |
| Cornerstone |
75.40 |
77.20 |
76.75 |
| Aquinas |
72.12 |
75.57 |
74.71 |
| Rochester Christian |
57.20 |
57.00 |
57.05 |
"Madonna Cheerleading is full of amazing human beings who defy doubters every single day. They are mentally tough, absolutely relentless, and yet still humble and kind. Full of character, these Crusaders never stop cheering for the person next to them. I am honored to lead this team every single day, this is a dream of a lifetime." says Coach Amber Hauck.
With the WHAC Conference Tournament Championship, Madonna Cheerleading also earned a bid to attend the NAIA National Championship in Topeka Kansas, March 27-28th.
All-Conference Awards
In addition to the WHAC Championship, individual athletes were honored for their work on and off the mat.
WHAC All-Academic is given to athletes who have been at their current institution for at least one year and have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher. This year's WHAC All-Academic team included 9 Crusaders Cheerleaders.
Ashlynn Barriager
Andraya Biro
Isabella Covert
Kerstin Fix
Macy Page
Alexis Raffin
Samantha Reini
Natalie Richards
Faith Walls
The 2026 Madonna Cheerleading representative for Champion of Character was Senior
Megan Buck. Champions of Character are meant to embody the 5 core values of the NAIA Champion of Character program: Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Sportsmanship, and Servant Leadership. Megan was voted as a captain for the 2025-2026 season and in her 4 years at Madonna has embodied these principles without question.
For the first time in Madonna history, MUCC athletes have also been named to First Team All-Conference. After completing a tryout featuring stunts, tumbling, and jumps, athletes must achieve a 2 or higher on each category to qualify. Out of 8 conference athletes total, Madonna Cheerleading boasted 4 of those athletes.
Abby Porth
Natalie Richards
Ryleigh Shanahan
Faith Walls
