The University of Hawai'i cheerleading team placed eighth in the 2010 Universal Cheerleaders Association Collegiate National Championships last weekend at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Milk House in Orlando, Fla.

Hawai'i, the top seeded Division IA squad from the West Region, was one of the least experienced teams in the competition after graduating a large number of seniors last year, according to a press release.

Kentucky won the division.

"I was proud of the courage our team showed when they took the floor," said Hawai'i head coach Mike Baker. "We hit a challenging stunt combination in the opening and then nailed an original and very difficult pyramid sequence in the first half of the program.

"But the early success in the routine caused us to become excited that created a bit of a disconnect within the team. After the first half I realized that the team was too pumped. But once the music starts, you can't stop, so I could only stand on the side and watch them try to work through that emotion.

"We ended up not performing the middle, 'cheer' portion of our program as well as we had in practice, but in the end the team showed a great deal of poise by regrouping and finishing strong."

Baker said the 'Bows are "an extremely young team. Only three out of our 16 member team have ever stepped foot on the UCA Nationals floor. I thought they showed a lot of heart and they represented both the university and the state of Hawai'i with pride."

Coed Division IA Results

1. Kentucky; 2. Alabama; 3. Central Florida; 4. LSU; 5. Ohio State; 6. Mississippi State; 7. Minnesota; 8. Hawai'i; 9. Western Kentucky; 10. Kansas; 11. Memphis; 12. Mississippi; 13. Indiana; 14. Penn State; 15. Florida State.