Oklahoma State University Athletics
The Sweetest Victory
November 16, 2010 | Cowboy Football
Nov. 16, 2010
By Katie Ann Robinson
Athletic Media Relations
The 24 men and women of the OSU cheerleading squad gathered on the blue-felt mats in Daytona Beach, Fla,. embracing the silence of the Peabody Auditorium while sending prayers and grasping each other's hands before the announcer revealed the 2010 national champs.
As the announcer called the fifth-, fourth- and third-place teams, the squad was relieved and anxious knowing the championship title was between them and their top rival, Louisville.
With a long, dramatic pause to build the anticipation, leaving the OSU squad's hearts beating rapidly and palms sweaty, the announcer declared the second place winner as the Cardinals from Louisville. With a score of 9.46, the men and women of the OSU cheer squad ran to the center of the mat jumping, screaming and embracing each other as they claimed their championship prize.
“The pause the announcer made before saying which team got second felt like an eternity,” said Matt Ramirez, one of the OSU squad's captains. “I will say that the instant goose bumps, shock, crying of my teammates and coaches, the uprising of the crowd and the thought of all that hard work paying off was unlike any feeling I'll ever have, and I'll never forget it.”
In the three previous years, OSU had fallen short to Louisville, placing second at each competition. Despite a minor deduction for a stumble during a tumbling pass at the beginning of the routine, the squad was able to deliver a flawless performance and conquer the Cardinals.
“When they said Louisville placed second we all just screamed our heads off,” said Ronni Perrin, one of OSU's 2009-10 captains. “I remember falling to my knees because I thought I was going to faint I was so excited. A few of my teammates picked me up, and it was the biggest celebration ever. I just remember feeling a sense of acknowledgment from all the other teams because so many other people wanted us to beat Louisville besides us.”
OSU coach LeRoy McCullough says the most nervous moments for him are the seconds before the squad performs for the preliminaries.
“Every year, right before the team goes on the mat to perform, I get this feeling that there's nothing more paralyzing than knowing I can't do anything else for them,” McCullough said. “It's not in my hands anymore, and all I can do is just pray that they do it right.”
The squad placed third after preliminaries, which is a rare occurrence for OSU. Going into the finals, OSU knew it had to deliver a perfect routine in order to defeat Louisville, the reigning seven-time national champs.
“I think being in third during prelims could have been the best thing to happen to us because in the years past, we have hit our routine in prelims and then not in finals,” Perrin said. “So this year we had another day to redeem ourselves. We came together as a team and still believed in each other and didn't blame anyone for what happened the day before.”
The 2010 competition was McCullough's seventh appearance at nationals with OSU. Each year, the team magnified their talent and amplified their performance and ultimately became one of the premier cheerleading programs in the nation. In 2010, the team learned that even with an error, the caliber of their routine was unmistakably difficult to compete with.
“I have always told my team that one mistake can only be one mistake,” McCullough said. “I'm so proud because they didn't let that mistake affect their performance. I always wanted to win nationals without depending on another team to have a miss. It means so much more to us now because even with a mistake in our routine, we still beat the teams that didn't have any mistakes.”
Leading up to the competition, practices were extensive and tedious. The team has to learn to balance schoolwork, sporting events and practice during the spring semester as they prepare their routine and drill it to perfection.
“Practices are always long during nationals season,” Ramirez said. “That's the time when our bodies really start to break down. Spring semester is always tough because we have to practice more often and for much longer. But it's all worth it if we come back with a win.”
The squad practices three times a week for over three hours. They split up the routine into three different sections and perfect each section before moving on to the next. McCullough compares the two-minute routine to running 15-minute sprints while lifting weights. The team is constantly in motion whether they are tumbling, stunting or dancing.
“We have a very versatile squad,” McCullough said. “The more versatile they are, the easier it is to choreograph the routine. We have some very knowledgeable kids, and I use their input a lot. They taught me that if I change it slightly so that it's easier but still challenging then it's still going to be a great routine.”
The 2010 title marked OSU's first championship since 1991. McCullough says the team motto this year is “stay hungry, stay humble” as the squad is determined to maintain their top position without becoming overconfident.
“Some people say practice makes perfect,” Perrin said. “But we say perfect practice makes perfect. I am so excited to see what our squad can accomplish this year. There is so much talent on our squad, and all we have to do is keep the fire burning in us and we will continue to be a successful team.”
