Written by George Fox University Sophomore Eryn Gates
NEWBERG, Ore. — When George Fox University’s cheer team claimed the Division III STUNT national title in spring 2025, it marked the culmination of a years-long effort by head coach Reba McLennan to establish the program — and the sport — on campus.
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McLennan, who began coaching gymnastics at 15, has spent decades in the cheer and STUNT community. Before joining George Fox, she coached at Jesuit High School and later at Portland State University and Pacific University. In 2018, when George Fox began searching for a new cheer coach, McLennan was asked for a recommendation. She put her own name forward and was hired.
“I will do anything and everything for [my athletes] to succeed,” McLennan said. “I will invest my whole heart and soul for you if you do the same for me.”
McLennan was first introduced to STUNT — a competitive sport that focuses on the technical and athletic elements of cheer — during her third year of college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, when her team participated in a tournament. Although her team never competed in STUNT again, she said the experience sparked a lasting passion for the sport.
When she arrived at George Fox, McLennan hoped to see cheer recognized as an official sport under the athletics department. Despite initial resistance from administrators, she continued to advocate for her team by organizing appearances at university events and fundraisers to gain visibility.
“During my first year here, we weren’t really respected at all,” said senior athlete Sydney Agan, who joined the program in 2021. “We had to fight for everything. We weren’t at the scale we are at now, being nationally recognized.”
The program began competing at the national level in 2021, first at USA Nationals and later at UCA Nationals in 2022. The following year, the university placed the cheer program under athletics for insurance and liability purposes — a small but meaningful step toward McLennan’s larger goal of the sport being recognized alongside other collegiate sports.
In 2023, George Fox Athletic Director Adam Puckett offered McLennan a choice: transform the team into either a STUNT team or an Acrobatics and Tumbling team.
According to Sports Destination Management, both sports draw from cheer, gymnastics, and dance, STUNT and Acrobatics & Tumbling differ in format and focus. STUNT is a head-to-head, four-quarter competition where two teams perform the same routines, and judges score on execution, making it more similar to other NCAA game-day sports.
Acrobatics & Tumbling, on the other hand, features six event rounds — from compulsory skills to a full-team routine — with teams performing distinct sequences that showcase difficulty, synchronization, and technique. Although the skill sets overlap, STUNT emphasizes direct comparison, while A&T highlights overall proficiency across a broader range of acrobatic elements.
After consulting with coaches across the country, McLennan decided to move forward with STUNT.
Assistant coach Kiana Pigao, who has been with the program since its inception, supported the transition.
“It will make us more competitive and make us trailblazers,” Pigao said.
Since then, McLennan has built a five-member coaching staff and emphasizes teamwork both on and off the mat. She said she values the camaraderie and mutual support among the staff, describing it as a “really cool friendship and familyship.”
Her coaching philosophy centers on faith and community. Before becoming a STUNT team, the group spent the first hour of practice in Bible study. While competitive schedules have made that practice harder to maintain, McLennan said the team continues to pray together before games and uses a tradition called “Lord’s points” — a concept borrowed from head coach Beth Sanchez — to celebrate milestones that may not show up on the scoreboard.
“I think that Reba is incredibly giving of her time and resources,” Pigao said. “She will go to the absolute ends of the earth to fight for the people that she cares about. She’s the best.”
McLennan’s persistence ultimately paid off. In 2025, George Fox became the first university in the Pacific Northwest to field a STUNT team — and the first to win a national championship in the sport.
While the title marked a milestone, McLennan said her work is far from over. “It’s just the beginning,” she said. “I hope to continue this legacy for years to come.”
George Fox’s STUNT season begins in early 2026. For more information, visit the George Fox STUNT website.
Disclosure: The story’s author is a member of the STUNT team and is studying journalism at George Fox University.
