Bianca Bergman started her head coaching career at McKendree University from 2012 through 2016. She began her second tour of duty as the head cheerleading coach in June 2018.
During her first tour of duty at McKendree, Bergman helped lead the McKendree cheerleading squad to a top-10 finish at the annual National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) Collegiate Championships.
In Bergman's four-year span, McKendree advanced to the national finals for the first time in program history in 2013. That same year, the Small Coed DII team placed sixth. The Bearcats continued to finish in the top-10 in the years to follow, coming in third in 2014 and sixth in 2015.
The 2016 squad marked the first time in team history that McKendree qualified two teams into the NCA Collegiate Nationals. They Small Coed and Small Coed Intermediate both finished in the top-10. That year, the purple team finished third, while the gold team finished ninth.
In the years to follow, the Bearcats’ Small Coed and Small Coed Intermediate have qualified and finished in the top-5 of the national finals. Both teams finished in third during the 2017 championship. The Small Coed finished fifth, while the Game Day team finished third during the 2018 championship.
At the 2020 University World Cup Cheerleading Championships, McKendree’s Premier Small Coed and Premier Small Coed Purple team both placed second, while placing third in the Team Cheer Open.
In addition to appearing at football, basketball and other Bearcat athletic events, the cheerleading squad and dance team prepares themselves for annual competitions. Every April in Daytona Beach, Fla., the teams compete in the NCA & NDA Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship.
