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        NEW ORLEANS — For the second time in three years, Xavier University of Louisiana's Glenn Caston has been chosen NAIA Competitive Cheer National Coach of the Year. The NAIA announced Thursday that Caston won the award for the 2024 season.
        Caston led XULA to an NAIA national runner-up finish — 37 hundredths of a point behind repeat champion St. Ambrose — out of 15 teams March 29-30 at NAIA nationals in Ypsilanti, Mich. The Gold's final score of 96.91 was the second highest in meet history.
        That was the fourth consecutive top-6 finish for Caston and the Gold in five years as a varsity program. A recap:
        •  Second place in 2024
        •  Sixth place in 2023
        •  NATIONAL CHAMPION in 2022
        •  Fifth place in 2021
        The Gold had an NAIA-leading 16 athletes named All-America this season, including freshman Dylan Sonnier, the NAIA Co-Cheerleader of the Year.
        XULA won a National Cheerleaders Association national title April 13 at Daytona Beach, Fla., in the advanced large coed NAIA division. XULA's final record this season was 54-2-1 (.956) in nine competitions.

Glenn Caston photo by Yamlak Tsega