The Harvard cheerleading team took third place Sunday in the co-ed college division at the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) Northeast Regional Competition. The two-day competition drew over 40 high school and 15 college teams, 10 of them co-ed, to Albany, NY.

Harvard's team finished ahead of Boston College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), which have more established programs, according to Co-Captain Virginia S. Fuller '00.

The team's two-minute routine alternated between performing stunts and dancing, and included a cheer in the middle, Fuller said.

The team's 13 members consist of one senior, three juniors, three sophomores and six first-year students. Three of the cheerleaders are male.

Team members said the competition represents a significant accomplishment after the team was prohibited from performing stunts last year because of an accident in October 1997.

"It was really embarrassing to go to the NCAA [women's basketball tournament] last year and not to be able to do anything besides dance," Fuller said.

Team member Gerard P. Hammond '02 said the team has made a "180-degree turn since last year."

"We've really put it together and gone through the necessary steps," he said. "We're much more organized this year."

According to Co-Captain Alyssa B. Murphy '00, these steps included a workout requirement over the summer, the hiring of a coach and a series of negotiations with Harvard officials in charge of insurance and club sports.