FEBRUARY saw the Bournemouth University Falcons cheerleading team bag a national title at the Legacy University Nationals.

The one day competition at the Olympic Park on February 22 saw university teams from all over the country tumble and flip their way through routines in order to be crowned the best in their level.

Over 80 Falcons took part in the competition, spread across various categories such as the different levels of cheerleading, Hip-Hop and Pom.

The Falcons won a national title in the Level Three category with a two minute and 30 second performance which included stunts, jumps, dancing, tumbles and much more.

To succeed, teams must have a good execution score and difficulty score for their routine.

President Emily Barker explained the challenge of finding the middle-ground between the two: "As a uni team, we have a limited time to train due to everyone’s busy schedules. We can only train once a week, so we need to utilise that time as much as possible and pack it all in.

"We definitely make the most of our two hours."

The excitement was palpable when the winners were gradually announced at the Nationals, with the ranking announcements starting at last place and moving up to first.

Falcons Coach Meg Stovell said: "Winning felt like such a relief. All of our hard work paid off."

Despite the Falcons' numerous successes over the years, family is certainly at the heart of the club.

Emily and Meg, both in their final year of university, now live together as a result of the friendship made from taking part in the Falcons.

Organising weekly socials and fundraisers also maintains the importance of friendship in the club.

Emily said: "The group is a lovely environment to be in. You can't have a completely successful team if it’s not backed and supported 100 per cent by members."