The Rogers State cheerleading team is once again heading to Daytona Beach, Fla. to compete in the National Cheerleader Association’s Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship. The preliminary competition will be held Thursday, April 10 with finals on Friday, April 11.
The cheer squad has scheduled a pair of preview performances of the routine on Monday, April 7 in the Bushyhead Fieldhouse on RSU’s Claremore campus. The first performance will be at 2 p.m. and will be repeated at 7:30 p.m.
Head Coach Matt Hinds said he is proud of his squad. “It’s hard to believe what all can be done with a group of individuals that fight for the same goal,” said Hinds. “It has taken countless hours of hard, strenuous work to prove this squad has what it takes to represent Rogers State University at NCA College Nationals.”
The teams perform routines consisting of tumbling, stunting, dance and motions choreographed to music. The routines are two minutes and 15 seconds of fast-paced displays of skill and endurance. Teams are judged on degree of difficulty, perfection of routine and overall impression.
The competition performance is more elaborate than most of the skills that are demonstrated during RSU games, as protective mats are required for many of the high-flying routines.
“There’s no better feeling than hitting a perfect routine, and that is what we will have to show for our months of hard work,” said Kelsey Kellum, a junior communications major from Baxter Springs, Kan. “Rogers State cheer has come a long way, but this year is something special.”
With hundreds of cheer and dance teams from across the country participating in the prestigious competition, it’s an honor for the RSU cheer team participate for the third consecutive year. The team placed 5th overall in last year’s competition after a 7th place finish in 2012.
“Nationals is our opportunity to prove ourselves,” said Titus Massey, a psychology major from Wichita, Kan. “Many people see us cheering at games and believe that’s the extent of our program, but there’s so much more.”
RSU’s preliminary performance time is 2:32 p.m. (Central) on Thursday, April 10. There will be a live stream for anyone who wants to watch it in Conference Room A in the RSU Centennial Center.
For more information about the RSU cheer squad, visit rsu.edu/cheer or contact Misty Smith, RSU Director of Student Development, at 918-343-7707 or [email protected].