Avila Glitter Girls: Nationals 2013

by Sky Roberts
February 11, 2013

Along with the Avila Cheerleaders, the Avila University Dance Team had also qualified for the College Dance Nationals at the beginning of the season. On Thursday, January 17^th, the dance team made their way to Orlando, Florida to check into the Disney Resort. The College Dance Nationals were held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports; the Josten’s Arena specifically for the dancers. “I felt really good when we got down to Florida. I wasn’t as nervous as I normally am, which surprised the girls,” said Cindy Freeman, head coach of the Avila Dance Team. Upon arrival, the dancers parted to their rooms to get settled. “Thursday night we just kind of hung out, got used to everything and unpacked. We practiced that night and went to the venue to get on the warm up floor and run over some things,” said Brianna Gilmour, junior at Avila University. Thursday night was mostly for relaxing and getting ready for what was to come on Saturday—the competition.  “We spent Thursday just trying to relax and get a feel of the arena and our surroundings,” said Kori Weatherspoon, sophomore at Avila University. Friday was a day to forget about the nerves and have a good time. The Dance Team went to the Disney parks that day for some quality team bonding. After a full day at the parks, there was an annual Team Builder that the coaches surprised the girls with every year. The dancers knew they needed to get to bed early; they would be waking up at six in the morning to get ready for the competition. “Friday night is usually a restless night—I run the routine in my head a million times and it gives me butterflies,” said Weatherspoon. “I got up on Saturday and I was very excited—very calm,” said Freeman, confident in her dancers and their performances that day. When the dancers arrived to the arena, the first thing was to go behind stage and warm up. “It’s always nerve-racking to see all of the teams that are going before you, especially if they’re good. Sometimes it also boosts your confidence,” said Weatherspoon. After a great semi-final performance, the numbers were in and the Avila Dancers had made it to finals. “I wasn’t going to let the girls know how they finished, but because of where they were Mandy (the assistant coach) and I decided they needed to know. I told them they were in third and that got them really fired up,” said Freeman. Freeman took the team to an open spot in the venue—this is where they had a hardcore two hour practice. Because of their placement, the team and the coaches had more confidence and drive to make this routine perfect. “I felt really good going into the finals for hip-hop. Knowing our place really got me excited to get on the stage and give it my all,” said Weatherspoon. The dancers, for the last performance of finals, went on the stage around nine-thirty and finished the hip-hop division in third place. Though, the competition was not over for the Avila Dance Team. After a long day, the girls made it back to their rooms and instantly hit the beds. Saturday was successful and they were more than prepared to take on Sunday. They had Jazz finals early in the morning. “When we woke up on Sunday, we were confident about the jazz finals. We knew this was the last routine we had to do, so we were ready to give it our all,” said Gilmour. “I had a good feeling going into the Jazz finals. The girls had the confidence that they needed from placing so well in hip-hop,” said Freeman. The dancers were ready to go; knowing they only had this last dance to leave on the stage. The Avila Dance Team finished fifth in Jazz finals, ultimately placing top five in both of their routines. “I’m so proud of the girls, they all worked so hard. It was an awesome year,” said Gilmour. “It was just an amazing trip and I am super proud of them. I can’t wait to see what we bring next year,” said Freeman. With no seniors on the dance team this year, the team will spend this next year becoming even more prepared to take the floor at nationals. Freeman is excited to see this year’s junior take their true leadership spots as seniors because she knows that they will do a great job forming the next year’s team. With a third and a fifth place title, the Avila Dance Team is ready to bring on next season.

Photo by Universal Dance Association

Photos by Karen Gilmour

Let's Turn the Blue Mats Purple

by Sky Roberts

February 11, 2013

On Thursday, January 17, 2013, the Avila Cheerleading squad nervously made their way to the Disney All-Star Resort in Orlando, Florida for the College Cheerleading Nationals. Avila Cheerleading had qualified for nationals earlier in the year and it was finally time to compete. The National competition was held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. Settling into the rooms was only the beginning of the trip, as the team had to meet for their scheduled practice at the HP Arena. “It always makes you nervous seeing the other teams warm up, especially the ones you’re competing against,” said Gabby Sysavath, sophomore at Avila University. This was her second time competing at the College Cheerleading Nationals. Sysavath explained what the scheduled practice would look like. “You only have twenty minutes for this warm up; the next time you do the routine, it will be the real thing.” The Avila Cheerleaders warmed up, getting all of their anxious nerves out, becoming more confident of the competition. After warm-ups had gone well, the Avila Cheerleaders left to their hotel rooms, anxiously awaiting Saturday morning. “We could hardly have a good time the next day—we were all ready to compete and the nerves began to really get to us with the anticipation,” said Megan Linder, senior at Avila University. The Avila cheerleaders agreed that the longer the wait for the competition, the worse the feeling had gotten. After a long Friday of short practices and activities to fill their day, the cheerleaders knew that the time was actually here—they competed the next day. The head coach Melissa Shipman called for a team meeting in her hotel room with the team and the rest of the coaches. “No one could really speak. There was nothing to say besides the same things we had been saying. It was time to put these dreams into action and the time was coming on us quickly,” said junior Aimee Adams. There were tears, nerves, and determination—all shared within each other; all ready to take the floor.

Six in the morning arrived in no time as the Avila cheerleaders became competition ready. “The warm up didn’t exactly go as planned, but it isn’t supposed to,” said Linder. The cheerleaders were surrounded by their biggest competitions—this set some of the athletes into a more than nervous state. Even so, there was no time to feel anything as the cheerleaders were approaching their competition time faster than they were ready for. “The competition never actually hit me until we were behind the castle about to walk onto the mat for our first routine,” told Sysavath. After a solid routine, the girls stepped off of the mat feeling confident. Only a few teams after, Avila had also watched their biggest competition hit a perfect routine. The confidence was still there, but now there was a threat.

The feeling had only gotten worse as the semi-finals score sheets had been received. In good news, the Avila cheerleaders had made it to finals along with five other talented teams. Though they were in third place and had a lot of comments of things that needed to be worked on. “This stressed a lot of the girls out. We knew our competition was ahead of us and that we only had a couple of hours to make these changes,” said Sysavath. Coach Shipman called for another practice on a field outside of the HP Arena. Some girls discouraged, other’s nerves taking them over, the practice brought even more stress onto the team. “Something needed to be done. We had to add in a skill that would show the judges who really should be in first place,” said Evans. After a tough decision between the coaches, the cheerleaders would be adding in a harder stunt that they had struggled with in the past. There was nothing to lose; it was time to leave it on the mat—all or nothing.

Photo by Jim Jimenez

The Avila cheerleaders walked onto the mat with the most confidence they’ve had yet. Ready to hit a perfect routine and take the number one spot, they set their positions and anxiously awaited the beginning of the music. “I thought we had hit a perfect routine, even the stunt we had thrown in last minute. I was so excited until I saw one of the girls crying,” said Sysavath. During one of the pyramid sequences, there was a fall—a fall that could have cost their routine completely. The girls instantly thought it was over. “To make it even worse, our competition hit their routine perfectly. None of us thought there was any chance. We were all defeated,” Sysavath said. Coach Shipman called for one last meeting. The cheerleaders met in the same spot they practiced in—full of tears and expressions of disappointment. “Coach tried everything to make us feel better but nothing could really fix it. This was our year,” said Sysavath. The cheerleaders parted ways until the awards ceremony. They met on the mat for the last time. “I didn’t even want to be there. We worked so hard all year, I didn’t want it to go to waste,” said Adams. The awards for Avila’s division—Open All Girl—were being announced. Fifth place, Riverside Community College; fourth place, Misercordia. “It already felt good to know that we were at least top three, that’s better than we have ever done as cheerleaders,” said Adams. Third place, The College of New Jersey. “I was so proud of us for getting second, all of our hard work had paid off.” Second place, Nassau Community College.

The Avila cheerleaders were in shock. Some were already crying; they knew they had done it. “I didn’t even hear the announcer call our name for first place. I was already screaming,” said Linder. The Avila cheerleaders had done it—turned the blue mats purple.

Photos by Jim Jimenez