Kentucky Wildcats Cheerleaders Crowned the World’s Best After a Dominant 2025 Championship Performance

In a moment that electrified arenas and echoed across continents, the University of Kentucky Wildcats cheerleading team delivered a history-making performance at the 2025 ICU World Cheerleading Championships, affirming their place at the pinnacle of global cheerleading. With poise, athleticism, and an unparalleled mastery of the sport, the Wildcats stormed the floor and emerged victorious — not just as national champions, but as the new queens of the cheerleading world.

In the aftermath of their triumphant routine, international judges, athletes, and fans alike found themselves united in a rare consensus: there was no debate, no split vote, and no questions left unanswered. The 2025 Wildcats had not only won — they had redefined excellence.

For decades, the University of Kentucky has been a dynasty in competitive cheerleading. With over 20 national titles in the UCA College Cheerleading National Championships, the program has long stood as a beacon of elite skill, tradition, and innovation. However, what transpired in 2025 catapulted them to unprecedented global acclaim.

Their performance at the International Cheer Union (ICU) World Championships wasn’t just clean — it was transformative. Competing against elite squads from over 60 nations, Kentucky delivered a routine that married American technical dominance with global artistry. It was a tapestry of flawless pyramids, gravity-defying basket tosses, and precision tumbling — all set to a heart-pounding soundtrack that seemed to narrate their meteoric rise.

The standing ovation lasted for nearly five minutes.

By the time the scores were announced — Kentucky sitting atop the leaderboard with a record-breaking overall score — it was clear that the torch had been passed. The Wildcats weren’t just the best in the U.S. anymore. They were now officially the world’s best.

The Wildcats’ 2025 routine was choreographed to tell a story — not just of athleticism, but of resilience, teamwork, and the evolution of cheerleading as an elite sport. Every element had a purpose. Every second counted.

The opening sequence featured a never-before-seen pyramid transition known internally as the “Blue Reign Tower,” involving triple-stacked stunts and synchronized inversions. Audiences gasped as fliers soared through the air with balletic grace, caught mid-spin by bases who made it look effortless.

Their tumbling passes were elite even by Olympic gymnastics standards. The team’s back row launched into synchronized full-twisting layouts and double backs, landing with textbook control. In the center, four-time All-American senior captain Jade Williamson executed a flawless Arabian double front that sparked immediate cheers from even rival coaches.

Then came the “crown jewel” — a 25-second pyramid segment with rotating stunt groups, synchronized basket tosses at varying elevations, and a breathtaking heel stretch that held for a full eight-count. As the music reached its crescendo, the entire squad struck their final pose in a symbol of unity: arms raised, the Kentucky “K” emblazoned behind them in lights.

Perfection. Precision. Power.

To understand why this performance was so groundbreaking, one must look beyond the stunts and consider the culture that underpins the Kentucky program.

“We don’t just train to win titles,” said head coach Whitney Hollingsworth in a post-championship interview. “We train to make history.”

This mantra is embedded into every aspect of the Wildcats’ regimen. From dawn practices on the Lexington campus to mid-season mental conditioning workshops, the team’s commitment to holistic excellence is unmatched. Nutritionists, choreographers, sports psychologists, and former Olympic coaches have all contributed to a program designed not just to compete — but to evolve the sport itself.

In 2024, Hollingsworth and her staff launched a year-long initiative titled “Project Reign,” aiming to transform Kentucky’s traditionally American style into something universally resonant. They collaborated with choreographers from Brazil, Japan, and Sweden, fusing elements of acrobatics, martial arts, and even ballet into the routine.

The result? A performance that transcended language and borders — and captivated the world.

Social media exploded in the minutes following Kentucky’s routine. The hashtag #NewQueensOfCheer trended globally within an hour. Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles tweeted, “That routine was STRAIGHT FIRE. Give them the crown!” while international cheer federations from Italy to South Korea praised Kentucky’s innovation and dominance.

At the awards ceremony, where flags of all competing nations stood side by side, the Wildcats were handed the ICU Platinum Crown Trophy — a new honorific reserved for the top international collegiate performance. It was the first time an American university team received it.

In Tokyo, where cheerleading has grown into a national obsession following its Olympic debut, live watch parties erupted into cheers. In Brazil, local cheer clubs live-streamed the performance repeatedly for training sessions. In Nairobi, cheerleaders at the Pan-African Sports Institute began incorporating Kentucky-inspired stunt progressions into their weekly drills.

Kentucky had become more than a cheerleading team. They had become a global standard.

The 2025 team roster reads like a who’s-who of elite cheer. Many members had already won All-American honors, while several were former gymnasts, dancers, and acrobats recruited from across the U.S. and abroad.

Leading the charge was senior co-captain Jade Williamson, a four-year starter from Dallas, Texas, known for her leadership and explosive athleticism. Alongside her was fellow captain Sasha Lee, a former Canadian national cheer champion who joined Kentucky in 2022 as part of its first international recruitment push.

In total, this year’s team included athletes from seven U.S. states and five foreign countries — the most diverse roster in Kentucky cheer history. That diversity brought not only new physical styles, but new energy, perspectives, and unity.

“This team represents what cheerleading is becoming: global, inclusive, and breathtaking,” said Coach Hollingsworth. “They didn’t just represent Kentucky. They represented the future.”

In many ways, the Wildcats’ 2025 victory represents a turning point in cheerleading history. The sport, which has long fought for recognition alongside gymnastics, dance, and even figure skating, is now seeing its moment in the sun.

With cheerleading gaining IOC provisional status and inclusion in multi-sport games worldwide, Kentucky’s world title is more than symbolic. It’s definitive proof that cheer is not just a sideline activity — it is a legitimate, elite-level athletic pursuit.

Television commentators at the ICU broadcast said it best:

Now that they’ve conquered the world stage, what’s next for the Kentucky Wildcats?

Coach Hollingsworth is already looking to the future. “We’re not stopping. This is a legacy now. It’s our duty to build on it.”

Recruitment has skyrocketed since the win, with top-tier athletes from Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia expressing interest in joining the program. Kentucky is also reportedly in talks to host the first-ever Global Collegiate Cheer Exchange, a cross-border training initiative aimed at uniting top teams for joint clinics and exhibitions.

Meanwhile, the team plans to tour internationally during the 2025–26 season, including stops in London, Tokyo, Cape Town, and São Paulo, spreading both the message and method behind their excellence.

The championship-winning routine will be archived in the ICU Hall of Fame and analyzed by coaches worldwide for years to come.

When history looks back at the 2025 ICU World Cheerleading Championships, one name will shine above all others: the Kentucky Wildcats.

They weren’t just good. They weren’t just champions. They were revolutionary.

They broke the mold. They inspired millions. They became the measuring stick by which all future cheerleading excellence will be judged.

And above all else — they were crowned the world’s best.

Long live the queens.