It was all a secret…
Seriously, our first season (2001) was top secret. A secret so well kept that the Coed team didn’t know about us until the day the schedule for Nationals came out and there was a mysterious “Western X” on the schedule (some team members lived with people on the coed team too). A team made up of x-gymnasts, x-cheerleaders, x-track athletes… Western X. They did alright their first year. Back in 2001, both Coed and All Girl teams competed against each other. Western Coed won, we finished second.
Year 2, the secret was out. They were back for more. In 2002, they finished third after a tie-breaker with Laurier Coed. This would be the last time Western X would take the floor. The next season saw the rise of “Open All-Star” teams. Numerous members of X, Western Coed Alumni and Fanshawe students (including current All Girl Coach, Garrett) made up the first Open Viper team at the PCG.
Fast forward to 2011 also known as the The Revival Year. After almost 10 years of shelf life, Western X made its return. The landscape of collegiate cheerleading had changed a bit. Combined divisions were no longer a thing and they now found themselves in the University All Girl bracket. The division has had a revolving door of National Champions and has been dubbed the Most Competitive Division in Canadian Collegiate Cheerleading. Laurier and Guelph were the resident powerhouses of the division, with Western sneaking in to the top two in their first 4 years. 2015, things changed and for the first time, Western All Girl claimed their spot on top, narrowly edging out Laurier. The team won again in 2017, edging out both Laurier and Guelph. The National Title has changed hands every year since 2013, truly making it the most competitive division in Canadian Collegiate Cheerleading.
We’ve changed out look a few times over the years. We’ve added some glam, we lost the bows – but one thing has remained the same – our desire to be the best on and off the floor.