Last Saturday Abilene Christian beat Nicholls State by 34 PTS in the Southland tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Wildcats lost only 4 games all year en route to making the NCAA tourney for the 2nd time in 3 years. In addition to shining a light on the players who got the job done on the court, it is also important to recognize the spirited students who have worked just as hard on the sidelines, such as band members/cheerleaders/dancers. Earlier this week HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Emilee Gant about being a captain and not being able to join the basketball team in Indianapolis this week.
You were born/raised in Texas: what made you choose Abilene Christian? I started out my first semester of college at the University of Oklahoma but decided pretty early on that I wanted to be at a smaller Christian school with a D-1 collegiate cheer program. Abilene Christian has the perfect environment in which I am a part of a tight-knit Christian community but can also have the college gameday experience that I always wanted while cheering on the sidelines.
You have been cheering for most of your life and are now a senior on the cheer team: what is your favorite part of being a cheerleader? My favorite part of cheer is stunting: I love being in the air and getting to learn new stunts. I also love seeing and being able to work with the younger girls who look up to me because I remember being in those exact shoes 10-15 years ago.
2 years ago you got to travel with the team to Florida when they faced Kentucky in the 2019 NCAA tourney: what are your memories of your experience in Jacksonville? Getting to cheer in the 2019 NCAA Tournament was one of the greatest weeks of my life. I loved the time I got to spend with my team and the school pride that we felt while being a part of ACU making history. My favorite memory is cheering on the sidelines and tearing up as I looked into the crowd because I was living everything that I had ever dreamed of in that moment.
You have been captain for the past 2 years: what is the key to being a good leader? I think the key to being a good leader is mutual respect between captains and teammates. As a leader it is important to have high expectations for your team, but also to build a relationship with them so that you can be a voice for the team as a whole while helping them become stronger athletes.
What does your team do at basketball games during a normal year? During a normal year our team cheers on the sidelines in Moody Coliseum at all home basketball games. We perform during timeouts, cheer on the boys throughout the game, and help with media appearances. We do a lot of running/tumbling/stunting/jumping as well.
You are majoring in Special Education: why did you pick that subject, and what is the post-graduation plan? I chose Special Education as my major because of the impact my two younger brothers with special needs have had on my life. I am passionate about teaching those with learning differences because I think it is so important for them to know that they are capable of achieving amazing things no matter what their diagnosis is.
How do you like basketball, and is that your favorite sport? I LOVE college basketball. Football was my favorite sport to cheer at during high school, but ever since I felt the energy at my first ACU basketball game cheering in Moody Coliseum it has been my favorite by far!
Last Saturday in the Southland tourney title game the Wildcats had a 34-PT win over Nicholls State: how excited was the student body to get its 2nd NCAA tourney appearance in the past 3 years? We were STOKED to make it to the NCAA tournament for the second time. Our boys have been unbelievable this year and I expect ACU to be making many more NCAA tournament appearances in the future!
Due to COVID your team has been unable to participate this season and you will not be traveling with the team to Indianapolis this week: how frustrating is it to be a cheerleader for a great basketball team during a pandemic? In all honesty, spending my final season cheering during a pandemic has been really hard. I am really disappointed that we will not be traveling to Indianapolis to cheer on our team, but I am so thankful to have been part of such an amazing program and cheer at the home games this season, even if it looked a little bit different.
You are playing Texas on Saturday: any predictions on facing your in-state rival? I grew up as a UT fan so I was so excited when I found out that we are playing them on Saturday. Considering the season our boys have had, I think that we could end up giving the Horns a run for their money if we play our best game: anything is possible!