Last Wednesday Texas A&M Corpus-Christi had a 75-71 win over Northwestern State in the Southland tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to next week’s NCAA tournament. The Islanders started 4-3 in conference play but won 12 of their final 13 games to earn the school’s 2nd straight NCAA tourney bid. 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 today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Texas A&M Corpus-Christi cheerleader Gabby Solis about going into nursing.
You are from Edinburg, TX: what made you choose Texas A&M Corpus-Christi? I grew up around South Padre Island so something about the beach kept me close to here. It is a very good college town.
You are a nursing major: how did you choose that subject? I have always known since I was little that I wanted to work in health care. It seems like nurses have the most interaction with patients, which is the most near and dear to my heart.
What is the post-graduation plan? I graduate in May and am really excited. I am planning to become a neonatal ICU nurse and will move home to begin my future career.
You have been a cheerleader for most of your life: how did you 1st get into it, and what is the best part? I have been doing it for pretty much 18 years. It blows my mind that my 22-year old body can still do it but it is a great sisterhood and helps keep me busy/active. I love being a part of the spirit program and supporting our teams at all of their games.
1 of your hobbies is trying new restaurants: what is your favorite kind of food? I am a pretty plain-Jane girl so I am a die-hard chicken tenders fan!
What has been your favorite moment so far this season: your 8-game winning streak in January/February, winning the regular season finale in OT, Senior Night, other? The conference tourney was an amazing weekend with a whirlwind of events. 1 of the best games was our homecoming game when we won the regular season title: to get to share it with the community was a really great experience.
Last Wednesday in the Southland tourney title game your team had a 4-PT win over Northwestern State: what has the reaction been like since you returned to campus? It has been really exciting to have the support from the entire university/community. There will be a lot of watch parties on the island, which is such a great feeling. The vibe for Selection Sunday is great: everyone cannot wait to see where/who we will be playing!
How does your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tourney, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? We participate in tryouts because they only allow 12 spirit members at the tourney. Our coaches rate us on our skills and I was gratefully given the opportunity. It is exciting to get that exposure on TV. I received so many notifications this week from friends/family who saw me on TV: what a way to go out with a bang as a senior!
Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for the NCAA tourney? Not really: we will just be prepared for the NCAA tourney by having some extra practices, and will attend Selection Sunday in support of our team.
Any predictions for the Islanders next week? We have the biggest support for our team and hope we can win that 1st game. We are getting better and better each year so even though we fell short last year (a 9-PT loss to Texas Southern) hopefully we can keep it going this year.