By Catherine Laroche
“C-A-R-D-S.” Nearly every U of L student has said it at some point, either at a game, tailgating event or maybe freshman orientation. Students are all familiar with the chant. But sometimes the leaders of that chant get overlooked.
The U of L cheerleaders cheered on the football team to the Liberty Bowl Championship, the men’s basketball team to the Final Four, and the women’s basketball team to the NCAA tournament.
“Things have been so stressful for us,” said sophomore Madison Bettis, who is on the co-ed squad.
“Not only are we trying to get ready for nationals, but we are also cheering for the basketball team along with going to school and practicing four to five hours a day. Some cheerleaders are working to support themselves and dealing with everything that a normal college student goes through on a normal day.”
On April 6 and 7, the U of L cheerleaders will be competing in the National Cheerleading Association’s national competition in Daytona, Fla.
U of L has two squads, all-girl and co-ed. At the NCA competition, U of L will compete in All-Girl I, Cheer I-A, Small Co-ed, Group Stunt and Partner Stunt.
The different divisions refer to the number of people in the squad and the NCAA division the school competes in. Because U of L football competes in Division I-A, so does the U of L cheerleading squad.
The squads say they are as ready as they’ll ever be.
“We have been practicing so much,” said freshman Chrissy Giacomarro, who is also on the co-ed squad.
“I can honestly say I’ve never worked so hard in my life. It’s all worth it, though. Since the beginning of the school year, [coaches] Misty [Hodges] and James [Speed] have had us working on stunts they wanted to see in the routine, getting us to work on specific tumbling passes, and conditioning us to always be in shape.”
Although the cheerleaders have been working hard, some feel that they still have some tough obstacles ahead.
Kristen Sutherland, a third-year member of the all-girl squad, said Oklahoma University is tough competition.
“They always have a lot of talent, but they hardly ever hit a strong, clean routine,” she said. “This year is the last year that OU will have an all-girl team, so I know that they’ve been doing everything that they can to beat us this year.”
While some cheerleaders are worried about their opponents, others are focusing on their own routine.
““I’ve not really been concerned with our opponents,” Giacomarro said. “If we can perform like we have been practicing and hit everything in our routine, no one will be able to touch us.”
All the cheerleaders share the same expectations.
“My expectations are extremely high going into the competition,” Giacomarro said. “We want to win. […] The atmosphere is going to be a lot different than what we are used to. We aren’t going to be in a gym with our teams and coach; we are going to be in Daytona on the beach with hundreds of people. Everyone needs to stay focused and do what we have practiced and we will be fine.”
Going for five consecutive titles will be difficult, Sutherland said. “No one wants us to win five, and we know that, so we’ve been working really hard trying to make our routine flawless so there’s no question that we are the champions again this year.”
The squads realize they have to work hard to bring home their fifth-straight title.
“To win this competition, we need to perform and hit everything,” Giacomarro said. “Our routine at practice has been getting better and better. We need to be able to step it up in Daytona and give everyone what they expect to be coming from a Louisville team.”
With the continuing help from coaches and upperclassman stepping up, the Cardinal cheerleaders should have no problem hitting their routine.
“[Our coaches] have told us what we need to do to win and now it’s up to us,” Giacomarro said.
“The upperclassmen are a very important part of this team. They encourage everyone to keep going, they set an example for what everyone needs to do, and they push you when you don’t think you can do anymore,” she said. “They know what needs to be done to win, and they will help you in any way they can to get you ready for the competition. Their leadership is a very important part of our team.”
Everyone is hoping that the leadership from upperclassmen and advice from coaches will help guide the cheerleaders to another championship.
“I don’t think I can even describe what this competition and winning it would mean to us,” Giacomarro said. “We have put in countless hours at the gym, worked through so many injuries, and have made so many changes to this routine to make it work. Winning this competition would bring this team together even more. A win at this competition will just add to the legacy of Louisville.”
