ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Missouri State University spirit squads recently returned from Orlando, Fla., with solid performances at the  2011 College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship, January 14-16.

The pre-national rankings for the teams qualified them to earn an automatic berth and partially-paid trip to the national event, which was held at Disney's Wide World of Sports.

The Missouri State Cheer Squad finished third in the Division 1 co-ed competition for the second year in a row. Morehead State won the division, while Delaware was second.  Texas State (fourth) and Wichita State (fifth) rounded out the top five finishers.

In the dance categories, the Sugar Bears took third place in the Division 1 Jazz competition and sixth place in the Division 1 Hop-Hop division.  Cal State Fullerton won the Jazz Division, followed by Long Beach State, MSU, North Dakota State and Southeastern Louisiana.  The Hip Hop category was won by Delaware, followed by St. John's, Hofstra, St. Joseph's, Southeastern Louisiana and the Sugar Bears.

Cheerleaders Faith Lorhan and Boston Alverson also competed in the Partner Stunt competition, finishing fifth out of 15 teams. The standout pair went into nationals ranked No. 2 in the country in that division.

Video footage of the event can be seen on www.varsity.com. The top teams from nationals will be featured in the nationally-televised event highlight show which will air on ESPN later this spring.

The prestigious competition, which showcases the country's best college cheerleaders, dance team performers and mascots, is marking its 27th year.  In 2010, the Sugar Bears finished fifth in Division 1 Hip-Hop category and 11th in Division 1 Jazz, while the Missouri State Cheerleaders were third in the Division I Co-Ed Cheer competition.