This is the second time Tech Pom has been named the U.S. National Team in the last four years of international competition.
The Texas Tech University Pom Squad is taking center stage this spring to compete against some of the best the world can offer.
Tech Pom will represent the United States as the U.S. National Pom Team for the 2026 International Cheer Union (ICU) World Championships, April 24-27 in Orlando, Florida.
“We are so excited to be the U.S. National Pom Team this year,” exclaimed Texas Tech Pom Coach Erin Alvarado.
“After the Universal Dance Association (UDA) College Nationals, the team was not ready for our competitive season to be over. We finished on such a high note and wanted to be able to carry that momentum forward.”
Alvarado said the team went through the application process, submitting their nationals routine, detailing why they should be selected.
Over 50 different countries along with thousands of athletes will go head-to-head for the ultimate bragging rights in various categories of cheer and dance.
In 2022, the Texas Tech Pom Squad was named the ICU Jazz World Champions. While the current squad wasn’t a part of their last trip to the World Championships, Alvarado is confident after the team’s strong second place finish in the 2026 UDA Nationals, this team will be ready.
“The last time we had this opportunity, it was such an incredible experience for our students,” said Alvarado. “Getting to meet dancers, coaches, and choreographers from around the world was a memory I know they will carry with them forever, and I am excited for this year’s team to get that same opportunity.”
The Tech Pom squad has six National Dance Alliance (NDA) national championships in their program history in jazz and pom in the last nine years. They have also finished in the top five in pom the last two years at UDA nationals.
“We are an extremely competitive team and like to set our goals high,” added Alvarado. “It is ultimately our goal to win the gold medal, of course, but we are also setting goals to improve as a team and set a standard for other teams to look up to and be inspired by.”