Pikeville, KY – UPIKE's competitive cheer squad earned a second-place finish on Sunday in the UPIKE Cheer Challenge. The three-team event was hosted virtually and featured Bethel and Martin Methodist, with Bethel claiming the top spot in both rounds by a small margin.

The first of Sunday's two-rounds included all three teams with the Bears slated to perform second. The Bears notched a score of 65.2 in round one, just short of Bethel's winning mark of 67.7. Martin Methodist went last and finished with a 59.5. UPIKE had a pair of minor deductions totaling 1.25 in the initial round.

Round two was absent Martin Methodist, with UPIKE and Bethel battling for the dual win. Both squads scored higher in round two with the Wildcats scoring 69. The Bears executed much better in round two but fell just .4 short of Bethel's mark with a 68.6.

Sunday's event was the first for head coach Jeanie Stone's squad in 2021, and the first virtual event hosted by UPIKE Cheer. Despite some conflicts early on, the competition was a success and brought some much-needed mat time for the Bears. UPIKE Cheer is slated to return to action for MSC Championships in February with schedule additions possible, keep up on upikebears.com to stay up to date.