Spirit team set for national stage

FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno State spirit team, consisting of the co-ed cheer team and the eight-member dance team, will travel to Daytona, Florida to compete in the National Cheer Association and National Dance Association Collegiate National Championships April 6-8. The Bulldogs will see their first floor time at approximately 12:30 p.m. PT on Thursday, April 6th.

The Fresno State spirit team makes appearances at every football, volleyball, and men's and women's basketball games supporting their fellow Bulldogs throughout the year. Now, it is their time to take the spotlight.

The NCA and NDA National Championship is what every collegiate team in the nation strive to compete in. This year, there are over 150 squads competing, and Fresno State will be making their first appearance in 17 years. The field of competition will feature the highest caliber of spirit teams from across the nation.

Senior cheer captain Luis Sepulveda presented the idea of competing in this competition to head spirit coach Emmi Jennings at the conclusion of the tryouts in the spring of 2016.

"Luis approached me with the idea of going to this competition," coach Jennings said. "I told him that if they wanted to do it, they would have to work for it, and I would support them through the entire journey."

Sepulveda saw the talent in his new Bulldog family for the 2016-17 season and knew that they would have the potential to qualify for the national championship in Daytona.

"We have already competed in the USA Nationals, which is a smaller setting in Anaheim," Luis said. "With the talent we have this season, we decided to go to a bigger stage and do something a lot bigger this year."

Members of the spirit team worked together to raise the money that they needed in order to compete at this event. Several fundraising efforts were made throughout the course of the year and the group raised every penny they needed to get them to Florida on their own. Aside from grants and donations that were awarded to the club, the members also went out and sold calendars and posters to the community, as well as making special public appearances, in order to raise funds for their trip.

The spirit team members have practiced and trained rigorously three times a week since the fall to perfect one routine that they will take with them to Daytona. The two squads have taken full advantage of performing in front of the Red Wave at football, volleyball and basketball games throughout the year. These performances have helped them come together as a team and find their groove for nationals.

Junior cheer squad member, Rachel Ormsby, explains the preparation and conditioning that they have gone through to be ready for their moment.

"We practice for two to three hours, three times a week," Ormsby said. "We will do our routine, and if a stunt falls or we don't hit something right, then there is a certain conditioning that we will have to do. Different things like that have gotten us in the right shape and condition to be able to do it right."

The road to Daytona was long and hard earned for these spirit team members. After having to change their entire routine at the last minute to be sure that it complied with the competition's regulations, they have worked to perfect every step and turn in their routine to be the best they can be.

Junior dance team captain Brittany Williams looks forward to competing with her eight-member team in nationals this weekend. Brittany is a two-time captain of the dance team and has high hopes for competing in Daytona.

"Everyone on this team is really talented," Williams says. "It is probably the best team that I have been on since I joined the spirit team three years ago. We are really excited, and I think that we will do really well this weekend. We are lucky to have the opportunity to go to Daytona for nationals."

The two teams have prepared and perfected their routines over the last the last eight months.

"We want to go to Daytona and represent Fresno State the best we can," says coach Jennings. "We want to put Fresno State on a national stage and show people who we are."

The Fresno State cheer and dance teams will perform at the same time, but at different venues in Florida. The two teams are disappointed that they will not have each other there as a support system, but they are both routing for each other and send the best of luck to their fellow spirit team members.

"We were looking forward to the cheer team being there with us because they always hype us up and give us lots of support while we perform," Williams said. "They also have a really talented team this year, and we hope they do great on their end."

Junior cheer team member, Adam Nunez, had a few words of encouragement for the dance team members in their competition. "They just need to give it all they have on the mat, Nunez said. "They need to leave everything out there and give life to the judges. They're going to kill it."

Fans can watch the spirit team represent Fresno State in its entirety online via Varsity TV, powered by FloSports, while portions of the competition will also air CBS Sports Network.

LINKS
To watch: http://tv.varsity.com/event/254827-nca-nda-collegiate-nationals
Schedule: http://nca.s3.varsity.com.s3.amazonaws.com/Files/links/PO_CN.pdf

"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – For more information about the Fresno State Spirit Program or to make a donation, reach out to the Spirit Advisor, Allison Thurner (athurner@csufresno.edu).

Fresno State Athletics

Spirit team set for national stage

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