Conference tournaments are about basketball but also so much more: the fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The CAA Tournament is taking place in Washington, DC this weekend and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD will be covering all of the angles so you can look forward to a cascade of coverage in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our series with Towson cheerleader Ahylexus Kidd as she talked about being an Ambassador and her prediction for her team’s Sunday night game vs. Northeastern.
You grew up in Maryland: what made you choose Towson? This is actually my first year at Towson; I am a transfer student. I have lived my entire life in Maryland so I knew that for college I wanted to go far away from here…but that did not turn out so well. I ended up transferring to Towson and it was the greatest decision I have ever made. I picked Towson especially because I had heard great things about their Biology department.
You are majoring in Biology: what do you hope to do after graduation? After graduation I am taking a gap year to take the MCAT and apply to medical school. My dream is to attend Howard University School of Medicine in Washington, DC.
How did you 1st get into cheerleading, and what is the best part? My stepfather is a football coach and both of my brothers played football. I was always out on the field with them so I picked up the cheers/dances the cheerleaders did on the sideline pretty fast, then 1 day I told my mom that I wanted to be a cheerleader! I started off doing recreation cheer, then all-star cheer, then high school cheer, and now college cheer. I think my favorite part about cheering is that it allows me to step outside of my comfort zone. Outside of cheer I am very shy and quiet, but as soon as it is time to cheer I light up and become a totally different person.
What is the atmosphere like on campus this week now that the conference tournament is right around the corner (especially since your team has won 19 games this year after only winning 10 games last year)? Campus has been pretty much been the same but there is some talk about who people think will win the CAA championship.
You are an “Ambassador” for the team: what are some of the responsibilities involved in that? We are basically the face of Towson cheer and are responsible for being at all the games and events. To be an ambassador you need to have a strong game day presence and a friendly/positive attitude!
Will we see your group doing anything extra-special for the CAA Tournament this weekend? Yes! We’ve been working extremely hard on new material, such as new partner stunts and pyramids.
How does your school decide who gets to go to DC, and what does it mean to you to see your group doing their thing in front of a national TV audience? The cheer team, Pom squad, and band attend the tournament games. We are always at every game getting the team/students/crowd hyped up and pumped for another victory. I am super excited to see us on national TV and am glad that people are going to be able to tune in and see us cheering on our team!
What do you think the role of a college cheerleader is today, and how has it changed over time? College cheer has definitely changed over time, but in a good way. Our role on campus is a lot bigger now. We represent the school at games, events on campus, community events in Baltimore, etc.
What has been your favorite moment so far this season: your 7-game winning streak in the middle of the season, Senior Night, other? Most definitely our 7-game winning streak and watching the boys dominate the court every time that they play.
Any predictions for Sunday night vs. Northeastern (whom your school beat by 3 PTS on the road last Sunday)? I feel like it will be a very close/intense game but I have faith in my team that they will pull it together and win!