By Catherine Laroche

All year-round the University of Louisville cheerleaders and Ladybirds can be found on the sideline cheering every sport on to victory, whether it’s at a football game or a volleyball game. Last Friday, students, families, friends and student-athletes gathered into Cardinal Arena to show their support for the spirit groups by watching the teams show off their new routine for the NCA/NDA Collegiate National Championship.
“We appreciate everybody that comes out to support us because when we cheer at games it’s at just an elementary level because of all the rules,” Kim Brakmeier, senior small-coed cheerleader, said. “We get to show them what we really do. When we actually can pull the mats together and show people what we get to do at Nationals, we really appreciate everyone that comes to watch us. It’s so much harder than what we do at ball games.”
Last year, three of the four teams came back to Louisville with a national championship, extending their championships to 28. The large-coed squad not only received their first-place title but also was named grand champions as they received the highest score over the whole competition.
“Win nationals is No.1,” Zach Farrel, senior large-coed cheerleader, said of their goals at nationals. “We always have a goal of getting grand champion. We know that with this routine that is very possible. So we just have to go out and perform to the best of our ability. Our other goal is to come together as a team. This is our time to have fun and do what we do best.”
After a flaw in their routine, the all-girl squad came in third-place while Maryland striped their title from them. Member of the all-girl squad all agreed that Maryland is their biggest competition this year.
“They’re a good team,” Amy Dickey, senior all-girl cheerleader, said. “They’ve hit the last few years and we haven’t, so hopefully we’ll be able to step up and do that. Hopefully we get the title this year and not them.”
Members of the all-girl squad are very excited about nationals and they are looking forward to representing years of national championships by just wearing the name “Louisville” on their uniforms.
“It’s nothing like ‘Bring It On’,” Christi Hegedus, senior all-girl cheerleader, said of past experiences at nationals. “It’s business for us. It’s like going to the NCAA tournament.  We go down there, we practice; it’s all cheerleading no matter what. Knowing that you have the University of Louisville name on your uniform [is the best thing about nationals].”
Although both the large and small coed squad came back as national champions, they still agreed that every year Oklahoma State gives them a “run for their money.” OSU’s cheerleading coach is a graduate of U of L and cheered for the Cards.
“They’ve come up second runner-up to us for the past three years,” Heather Parascando, senior large co-ed cheerleader, said about OSU. “Their coach cheered at U of L so they know what it takes to become a national champion.”
The small-coed squad was one of the three teams from U of L to win their competition last year; which is big for a team that doesn’t have as much time to prepare for nationals as the rest of the squads. The small coed squad is put together after the large coed and all-girl squads confirm their nationals’ teams and maintain a solid routine with the potential to win. This year, they plan on continuing the success of last year’s team.
“I’m really excited about competing with my teammates,” Brakmeier said. “We practice all the time but when you actually compete, it’s a really different feeling. To experience that with 19 different people, it’s an unbelievable feeling. I’ve won twice and I got second one time, so I know what it’s like to win.”
After tying for first-place in 2007 with Brigham Young University, the Ladybirds solely took their title away from all of their competition last year after a flawless performance. The Ladybirds hope to do the same this year.
“We’ve worked on our technique a lot; which is the main thing we try to focus on,” Metzler said. “We’ve got a lot of talented girls. We’re really prepared and excited to get out and perform.”
Metzler said that despite the fact that a lot of the team is freshman, she thinks they can handle the pressure that comes with being a national champion Ladybird.
“We want to bring back another title as a three-peat,” Metzler said of their goals and expectations. “To go there, it’s a big bonding experience and of course we want to win. It would be awesome for all the cheer [teams] and Ladybirds to sweep [at nationals].”
The spirit groups will travel to Daytona, Fl. this week where they will defend and reclaim their titles back this weekend. Although the teams practice hard-core midway during the spring semester, they actually use games throughout the entire season to help prepare them for nationals.
“Everything we do all year is not only to get ready for the games but a preparation for what we know is coming in April,” Todd Sharp, Spirit Coordinator and Ladybirds coach, said. “So, as far as skills that you see in our routine, we’ve been working those skills and getting people used to working together for the last eight months; our actual routines, eight to 12 weeks depending on the team.”
After all of the hard-work and practice that the teams have put into their routines for nationals, they are pretty confident that they have could potentially all be named national champions.
“People can definitely expect four national champions when we come back because we’ve got three teams and the Ladybirds,” Brakmeier said. “I wouldn’t say that all teams would come home with wins if they couldn’t. I know they can.”