The Missouri State University spirit squads brought home national honors over the weekend at the 2009 UCA/UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championships in Orlando, Fla.

In the Division I Cheer competition, Missouri State finished third to claim the team's best-ever national finish. Coach J.R. Longstaff's squad finished behind Morehead State, which won the division for the 16th time in 17 years, and runner-up Delaware.

The Sugar Bears finished fourth in the Division I Dance finals. Coach Susan Brown's squad proved to be among the nation's elite, finishing only behind national champion Cal State Long Beach, Idaho State and Cal State Fullerton.

Brown's team also tied for fifth place in the Division I Hip-Hop finals. Delaware won the division, followed by St. Joseph's, Illinois-Chicago, George Washington, Missouri State and Cal State Fullerton. The fifth-place finish was the highest ever for Missouri State in the hip hop category.

The UCA/UDA competition featuring the Missouri State Sugar Bears and Cheerleaders can be seen on ESPN2 at Noon on Feb. 22 and at 2 p.m. on March 19.