On March 5 Murray State beat Morehead State 71-67 in the OVC tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Racers have won 20 games in a row to make the NCAA tourney, where they will face #10 seed San Francisco on Thursday in Indianapolis. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Murray State cheerleader Grace Thomasson about that unbelievable unbeaten streak and winning the conference tourney.
You are from Fancy Farm, KY: what made you choose Murray State? I chose Murray State because I wanted to be able to continue my cheerleading career at a school that was close to home and offered the education I needed in order to become a Speech Pathologist. It also has such an amazing student to faculty ratio along with being a very safe and comfortable campus and community to reside in.
You have been on the cheer team for the past 4 years: how did you 1st get into cheerleading, and what is the best part? When I was only 3 years old my parents put me into gymnastics, where I learned basic tumbling skills. I began cheering in the 7th grade for the Graves County coed cheer team. I was involved with that team for 3 years, had a knee injury that caused me to take time off for a year, and then cheered for the Graves County all-girl team my junior and senior year of high school. After my senior year I decided I was not ready to give up cheering so I tried out for the Murray State team. The best part about being a MSU cheerleader is meeting lifelong friends and being part of an organization that gives you so many opportunities. I have been fortunate enough to cheer for such amazing athletes the past four years and it has been so astounding to see them succeed.
When you were a freshman the Racers made the NCAA tourney and as a sophomore they lost to Belmont in the OVC championship game: what are your memories of both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat? The NCAA tournament my freshman year will always be my most memorable college experience. Not only did I get to cheer on the Racers to the 2nd round, but I had front-row seats to the beginning of Ja Morant’s career. It was at that tournament where I fell in love with Racer basketball. Even though Morant was gone the following year, the Murray State fans were bigger, louder, and ready to see the Racers dominate at the OVC. Falling short to Belmont in the championship game was so heartbreaking, especially after the previous year the team had. However, we were still so proud of the Racers and ready to come back even stronger the next year.
How frustrating has it been to be a cheerleader for a great basketball team during a pandemic? My junior year was such a depressing year as a cheerleader. I was unable to cheer at any basketball games and felt so heartbroken. Fast forward to my senior year: finding out that I could cheer was amazing news! I had doubts whether my cheer career was over once the pandemic took over during my junior year. As a cheerleader, you are a part of a spirit group that is crucial during games. It not only gets the players pumped up but also gets the crowd involved: I feel strongly that it has helped our boys this year in some tough games. I am so thankful to see that Racer Nation still shows out for the team and helps us cheer them on to victories.
You will be graduating in May with a Bachelor’s in Communication Disorders and will attend graduate school in the fall to pursue a Master’s in Speech Language Pathology: why did you pick those subjects, and what is the career plan after you finish grad school? I developed an interest in speech pathology when I was a senior in high school. My grandmother went through intensive care after a major heart surgery and had a tracheostomy tube placed into her throat. As I watched the Speech Language Pathologist help my grandmother regain her speech through the use of the tracheostomy tube, I realized that I wanted to give others going through similar situations their voice back. After graduate school, my plans are to work in a hospital or rehabilitation facility with individuals who have had a stroke (or other traumatic brain injuries) through speech therapy.
You are treasurer of the school’s National Student Speech Language Hearing Association: what are your responsibilities in that job? As the NSSLHA treasurer I am responsible for all purchases/expenses of the organization. I also attend monthly chapter and officer meetings, plan events such as the Polar Plunge, and gather supplies for events. This role has given me opportunities to work collaboratively with peers, professors, and organizations both on and off campus. This organization has also given me many opportunities/leadership skills that will be beneficial for my future career.
Since losing at Auburn right before Christmas your team has won 20 games in a row: has it reached a point where you just expect them to win every time they step onto the court as the hottest basketball team in the country? The more they kept winning, the more confident I was that every game we played was going to end up in a win. It really was not until the OVC tourney that I was ever nervous for a game the boys played. I knew that in the end that they were going to come out on top…and that is exactly what they did!
Last Saturday the Racers had a 4-PT win over Morehead State in the OVC tourney title game: how excited was everybody to win the conference tourney for the 1st time since 2019? I definitely feel that winning the conference was well-earned and a dream come true for all of Racer Nation. These boys have been working so hard this past year and deserved that OVC title. Racer Nation always shows out: I remember looking around the arena after the final buzzer and being in awe of the support and love the community of Murray State has shown this team. I think everyone would agree, but it makes you proud to be a Racer and a part of such an amazing community.
How does your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA Tournament, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? NCAA decisions are always tough because only 12 cheerleaders are allowed to attend. The school allows our coach to be the deciding factor in who gets to go. This year’s team is very unique because I am the only 1 who had ever previously cheered at a Racer basketball game due to the pandemic. I have been able to watch my teammates fall in love with Racer basketball like I did as a freshman and it has been so rewarding to experience. With that being said, we are all so ecstatic to have this opportunity and are looking forward to experiencing the NCAA tournament.
Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for the NCAA Tournament? We are planning to show up and show out. We have some fun new pyramids and include our fan-favorite mascot Dunker, as well as some new tactics to get the crowd more involved. Fortunately for us, the 1st round games being played in Indianapolis will give us a home-court advantage. Racer Nation has not let us down yet and I know they will continue to show out throughout the NCAA tournament. I am just overjoyed to get to experience the NCAA tournament for the last time with such an amazing team to cheer on. I love Racer basketball and I am so excited to see what they can accomplish during this tournament. Get ready, NCAA, because our team is back and better than ever: GO RACERS!!!!