Posted on May 1: McMaster cheerleaders crowned Open Series champions

The McMaster University co-ed cheerleading team has been named the Cheerleaders of America (COA) 2003 Grand National Open Series
Champion for Co-Ed Divisions 1 and 1A combined.
McMaster qualified for the Grand National Championship by placing first in the COA Niagara Falls Open on April 5, 2003. McMaster's score (341.00 out of a possible 400) was then ranked against the top Division 1/1A scores from each of the COA's eight other regional competitions (Alabama, California, Florida, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, and Texas) to determine a Grand National Champion.
McMaster also announced a new partnership between the McMaster Co-Ed Cheerleading Team and the National Champion CheerForce Wolfpack from Burlington.
For the 2003-2004 season, CheerForce Wolfpack founders, Frank Vurro and Chris Hollingsworth will join Carrie Lillyman as part of the coaching staff at McMaster, replacing Amy Ban and Simone Rose who have retired from coaching at McMaster after long and dedicated careers. The CheerForce Wolfpack will have more than 200 cheerleaders in their organization in 2003, and will provide a development system for the McMaster cheerleading team as well as access to facility space, in their new 5,000-square-foot complex to be opened in June 2003 in Oakville.
McMaster placed fourth in the 2002 Canadian University National Championships held November 23, 2002 at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario only 26 points (out of 600) behind the National Champions from The University of Western Ontario.