News Release | Success
The UTRGV Spirit Program – Cheer, Dance, and Mascot teams – brought home top accolades from the Universal Cheerleaders Association and Universal Dance Association training camp held at Texas State University this month. The teams are ready to bring excitement and energy as the UTRGV football season kicks off on August 30 at the Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium in Edinburg. (Courtesy Photo)
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Happenings, Awards, Community, Student Life
By Amanda Alaniz
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – JULY 16, 2025 – Hard work, dedication and hustle have paid off for the UTRGV Spirit Program – Dance, Cheer and Mascot teams – as they returned with top accolades from their summer training camp.
The Spirit teams participated in the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) and Universal Dance Association (UDA) College Spirit Camp at Texas State University from July 10-13. They received training from UCA and UDA staff, learning new stunts, game-day best practices, dance choreography and cheer skills.
The teams each earned significant recognition in several categories.
The UTRGV Dance received:
The UTRGV Cheer earned:
Additionally, the UTRGV Vaquero Mascot won first place overall champion.
Sel Gomez, head coach of the UTRGV Spirit Program, said the teams left the camp with newfound confidence, ready for the upcoming inaugural football season.
Gomez added that the camp enhanced the teams’ performance skills and reinforced their role in creating an invigorating game-day atmosphere.
“This year’s experience is especially meaningful as we prepare for UTRGV's inaugural football season, making our technical training, team culture and game-day readiness more important than ever,” she said. “Our participation reflects the university's commitment to excellence and student success, ensuring we represent UTRGV with energy, professionalism and Vaquero spirit throughout the season.”
The UTRGV football season kicks off on August 30 at the Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium in Edinburg.
To learn more about the spirit program, visit https://www.utrgv.edu/csi/spirit-programs/index.htm.
ABOUT UTRGV
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas. This transformative initiative provided the opportunity to expand educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley, including a new School of Medicine and a School of Podiatry, and made it possible for residents of the region to benefit from the Permanent University Fund – a public endowment contributing support to the University of Texas System and other institutions.
UTRGV has campuses and off-campus research and teaching sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley including Brownsville (formerly The University of Texas at Brownsville campus), Edinburg (formerly The University of Texas-Pan American campus), Harlingen, Weslaco, McAllen, Port Isabel, Rio Grande City and South Padre Island. UTRGV, a comprehensive academic institution, enrolled its first class in the fall of 2015; the School of Medicine welcomed its first class in the summer of 2016, and the School of Podiatric Medicine in the fall of 2022.