LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky STUNT head coach Blair Bergmann announced that Payton McHugh has joined the program as an assistant coach, bolstering a team that finished last season as the national runner-up.

McHugh, a native of Temperance, Michigan, was a two-time team captain for Davenport University's Panthers from 2022-25, where she won two national championships during her career. The Panthers also captured four consecutive Great Midwest Athletic Conference titles during her tenure, and McHugh was additionally a member of the Davenport cheerleading squad, which won three national titles during her four-year career.

"Our program is excited to welcome Payton on board," Bergmann said. "Payton's exceptional accomplishments in the sport, paired with her hard-working nature, will help Kentucky STUNT continue to move forward."

McHugh joins assistant coach Catherine Ruslavage on Bergmann's staff. STUNT is one of the fastest-growing female sports in the United States and focuses on the technical and athletic aspects of cheerleading. Bergmann, who cheered collegiately at Alabama, brought a decade of successful experience as an athlete and coach when he took over as head coach of the Kentucky program.

Kentucky finished the 2026 season with a 31-4 record and a national runner-up showing. McHugh expressed enthusiasm about joining the program. "I am incredibly honored to be working with the UK STUNT team," she said. "I look forward to teaching the sport of STUNT and making all of our players better. Also, the opportunity to work with Coach Blair and Coach Cat is an honor and something I'm eager to begin."