UPDATE: Marian had to forfeit its second place, moving AQ from third to second.

The Aquinas cheer team opened the 2021 season with a pair of performances on Saturday (Feb. 6) inside the Sturrus Center. To start off the year, the Saints defeated Rochester in a dual competition before finishing third in the annual Saints Showdown.
 
In the afternoon, AQ topped Rochester by a score of 71.58 to 47.87 with especially high marks in pyramids and basket tosses and solid scores in almost every category.
 
The Saints placed third in the five-team Saints Showdown following the Rochester dual. With 72.15 points, AQ finished behind Indiana Wesleyan (89.25) and Marian (Ind.) (77.23) in the top two spots, respectively. Spring Arbor (67.75) and Rochester (55.43) rounded out the five competing schools. 
 
AQ's score in the Saints Showdown was nearly identical to its total in the head-to-head matchup with Rochester. Again, the Saints were strong in basket tosses and pyramids, while also putting up good numbers in showmanship/impression, execution, and difficulty, among others.
 
Aquinas will compete again on Feb. 20 in a four-team virtual competition, hosted by Concordia. The 2021 WHAC Championship is the following weekend on Feb. 27 in Ann Arbor.