KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Following the 2022 NAIA Competitive Cheer National Championships this weekend, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics announced the select group of student-athletes who were named 2022 NAIA Cheer All-Americans. Representing Missouri Baptist University as an Honorable Mention All-American was junior Michael Bowling.
 
The local product out of De Soto High School helped guide MBU Cheer to its second-ever NAIA National Championship appearance and a 12^th-place finish this weekend in Ypsilanti, Mich. Bowling becomes just the second Spartan to earn Cheer All-America honors since Competitive Cheer became an NAIA championships sport in 2017. Bowling joins Dominic Johnson, who earned Honorable Mention in 2020.
 
To earn the NAIA Cheer All-America award, individuals are judged on the individual skills of toe-touch tuck, triple jump combination without an additional prep (2 of the 3 jumps must include a pike and toe-touch) and round off back handspring full twisting layout. Additionally, the individual is rated on a group stunt (full-up to fully extended awesome power press to any body position followed by a double twisting dismount). If a student-athlete receives an average of 2.0 or lower in any section of the scoresheet, the student-athlete is ineligible for All-America consideration.
 
Assisting Michael in the group stunt requirement was Jacie Coleman as the back spot, Sienna Figg as the side base, and Sophia Welch as the flyer.
 
As an NAIA All-American, Bowling will be recognized at the Spartan Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet, which will be held this year during Homecoming Week on the evening of Thursday, October 27.