Daytona Beach hosts national cheer competition

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Cheer squads from all over the country are in Daytona Beach for the National Cheerleaders Association Collegiate National Championship.

They've trained months for this one moment.

"Day one is 25% of your score and day two is 75%. So scores just really matter. Touching the mat, like all these deductions and stuff," Jake Michaelis said. 

Jalke Michelis is a member of the Iowa Center Community College team who gets to bring home a first place trophy in the intermediate large coed division. 

It's their second year in a row achieving this. 

"We had our battles. We had our ups and downs just like every team. But we found it to push out and came out on top," Jayson Payton said. 

From the Ocean Center to the beach, thousands of folks enjoying Friday's gorgeous weather and some top-notch cheer competition. 

"Going from snow and just coming here to palm trees and being warn. And the atmosphere is unreal, cheerleaders everywhere. It’s like home away from home," Michaelis said.

Competition wraps up on Sunday. 

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