UA Cheerleaders Finish Second at National Competition
1/19/2007 12:00:00 AM | Spirit Squads
By Scott Latta
UA Media Relations
Competing against 15 college cheerleading squads from around the country in the final round of competition, the University of Alabama captured second place at the ESPN College Cheerleading, Dance and Mascot National Competition Jan. 12-14 at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla.
The second-place finish marked the fifth straight year that Alabama has registered at least a top five finish. Alabama finished third nationally in 2006.
This year, the Tide finished just 15 points behind national champion Central Florida.
"They performed their routine at the top," Cheerleading Coach Debbie Greenwell said. "It was the best we have executed of any of our exhibitions or practices, so you have to feel good about it when you do your absolute best."
Alabama finished with a score of 655 to capture the second spot, the highest in the SEC??a traditionally strong cheerleading conference that finished with four of the top five finishers. Behind Alabama was Kentucky in third, with Tennessee and LSU rounding out the top five.
Alabama and Central Florida were the only squads of the 15 final groups to not have a fall in their routines, which were broken into three divisions: an elite set sequence with tumbling and basket tosses, a traditional cheer and an intermediate degree of difficulty set to music.
"The key to winning the competition is to execute it," Greenwell said. "We've got 16 people out there building pyramids and there are so many variables that can go wrong, and most of the time you beat yourself. A stunt can come down or a pyramid can come down."
Tide cheerleaders have been preparing the routine since early November, while also balancing cheering with football, volleyball and men's and women's basketball. To qualify for the national competition, the squad had to make a 90 second video that featured Tide cheerleaders doing a number of stunts.
Alabama's video was ranked second in the South region of competition, earning the Tide an automatic appearance in Sunday's final round.
"It's self-satisfaction because the kids that come to Alabama have to want to come to school here," Greenwell said. "Keeping at this level gets kids to come look at the University of Alabama. We're not recruiting them for the sport, but we're encouraging them to come to school here, and once they're here they can try out for cheerleading. But they have to want to come to school here first."
The strong national finish for the Tide, Greenwell said, will only add to its growing national reputation as one of the strongest cheerleading programs in the country. The group's community outreach??including hosting college cheerleaders from around the country and high school cheer camps??has made the Alabama program one of the most respected both in and out of the gym.
In fact, she added, there was a point during the Tide's final routine where Greenwell became worried that the enthusiasm from Tide supporters in the Orlando crowd would actually hurt the squad.
"I took a moment during the competition to look around at the crowd and I got worried," she said. "The crowd was cheering with them and I was so afraid that they weren't going to hear the music for the second half, because I couldn't even hear myself yelling. I thought to myself, ??Oh my goodness, this is getting out of control.'
"Everybody's cheering for Alabama. It just amazes me."
Alabama's mascot, Big Al, finished eighth nationally out of the ten mascots that made it to the final round. Sparty from Michigan State captured the national title.
"[Big Al] performed his routine great," Greenwell said. "Sometimes we're not quite sure who's judging that mascot competition, but to be in the top ten of all mascots in the country, that's pretty good."
In addition to finishing the men's and women's basketball seasons, the squad now turns its attention to organizing its annual summer high school cheerleading camp. Last summer's camp brought over 5,000 high school students to the Alabama campus.
