Juan Villa / The Collegian
After four years of not attending a national competition, the Fresno State Spirit Squad is preparing to take the big win in the 2009 United Spirit Association (USA) Collegiate Nationals.
The spirit squad won the USA championships in 2005 for the College Small Co-Ed Show Cheer division. For the small co-ed division, the team must have one to four males.
The squad is preparing to enter the competition in the all-girl Show Cheer division because there are no males this year.
“It’s the first season we’re an all girl team and it’s working. We are not saying we’re really strong, but to be able to do what we are doing when normally we have guys helping us, it’s a big difference,â€Â Becky Belman, spirit squad captain, said.
Darrin Viers and his wife, Chelley Uyeno-Viers, have coached the spirit squad for the last three years.
“We took over and kind of revived the program. When we took over there was only 10 girls on the team,â€Â Viers said. The spirit squad now has 29 girls, all of whom will go to nationals.
Viers explained that the spirit squad did not previously attend nationals because he wanted the squad to be prepared and to give “a good showing.”
“We feel now, after taking them to [cheer] camp, that they’re finally ready to go and represent the university the way it should be and hopefully win again,â€Â Viers said.
The spirit squad will start setting the choreography for their performance this November. Belman said the squad will work on improving their stunting for the nationals.
“I know we have an amazing team this year,” Belman said. “The things we were doing last year in mid-season, we are already doing now as a team, so that definitely shows that we’re doing really well this season. I’m excited to see what’s going to happen.â€Â
The USA Collegiate Nationals will be held in Anaheim on March 29-30, 2009. The preliminary competition will take place on Sunday with finals on Monday.
During the two-day competition Fresno State Spirit Squad will have 2.5 minutes to represent the university.
“In the main competition you get two chances to compete, it’s not a one hit wonder; you need to be consistent on both days,â€Â Viers said.
The teams will be judged on the difficulty of stunts, choreography, execution, timing, tumbling and gymnastics.