Last Saturday Arizona beat UCLA 61-59 in the Pac-12 tourney title game to clinch an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Wildcats lost 3 of their final 6 regular season games but won 3 games in 3 days in Vegas to clinch their 5th tourney title since 2015. 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 Arizona Pomline member Makenzie Stratton about her journey from Tempe to Tucson.
You were born/raised in Tempe: how the heck did you end up in Tucson?! It is actually a little bit of a funny story because my whole family (aunts/uncles/grandparents, etc) graduated from Arizona State. My parents begged me to go to ASU, but I was very interested in majoring in dance at the time and refused to even apply to Arizona State. I had applied to schools all over the country to audition for their dance programs and also started looking into their dance teams/pomlines. When I saw the Arizona Pomline with their style, the gameday atmosphere, and the University of Arizona’s campus it felt like home and my new dream was to be on the Arizona Pomline. I was lucky enough to have made the team going into my freshman year back in 2019 and have loved Tucson and the UofA ever since!
You have been dancing for most of your life: how did you 1st get into it, and what is the best part? I got into dance when I was about 3 years old all because of my aunt. She grew up dancing at Tempe Dance Academy and seeing her dance made me want to follow in her footsteps. I used to sit in my grandma’s lap at my aunt’s recitals, but unlike other kids who probably got antsy I sat completely still throughout the 2-hour-long shows. I was mesmerized by all of the dancers and ever since then I started taking dance classes and competing.
You are a captain this year: what is the key to being a good leader? Being captain of the Arizona Pomline has been a dream come true. It has been anything but easy…yet the most rewarding experience ever. I think that 1 of the biggest things about being a good leader is being very open-minded. As a leader of a group of 24 incredibly talented girls, I am constantly trying to make the best decision for the team. Being open-minded helps me realize/accept when I am wrong and also allows me to become a better listener for my teammates. Even besides the fact of trying to make the best decisions for the team, being open-minded with your teammates builds a lot of respect/trust that pays off in the long run. As a team we lean on each other so much, and open-mindedness about everything/everyone helps build trust, respect, and an unbreakable bond.
You are majoring in veterinary science and minoring in business administration: why did you choose those subjects, and what is the post-graduation plan? I have always wanted to be a veterinarian like every naïve little kid. As I got older and started working in the veterinary field I realized that becoming a veterinarian was the career path for me because it had a little bit of everything that I wanted in life. I would be able to practice medicine (which has always been something that I wanted to do) and give back by helping people’s pets. As I started my undergraduate work I added the minor in business administration because I would love to own my practice one day. However, I recently switched my minor to biochemistry because I believe it will apply more to my field and help me more during veterinary school. With that being said, I plan on attending veterinary school this coming fall. Although I have not decided which 1 I will be attending, I am very grateful to have been accepted to multiple schools.
You have a 3.9 GPA: how do you balance your work on the team with your work in the classroom? I feel like everyone says this but it really is all about time management and organization. I am very type-A and organized so this has never been hard for me to come by. Freshman year was definitely a great wake-up call because I had to learn study strategies, balance football and basketball season, gigs/other performances, along with moving away from home. It was overwhelming at times, but having a good planner along with a good outlet for stress was critical for my success through undergrad.
You have spent some time volunteering at local veterinary hospitals: how much importance do you place on community service? Most of my experience is based in Tempe since the summers are when I have the most time to volunteer, but I do think that community service is extremely important. At multiple humane societies in the Phoenix/Tucson areas I have volunteered for dog walking, dog/cat enrichment, and basic hands-on help throughout the facilities. I have also volunteered at the Therapeutic Ranch for Animal and Kids in Tucson where I got to help teach disabled kids about horses and how they can be a great outlet for the kids. Outside of the veterinary world, the pomline does an extensive amount of community outreach and volunteers for different charity events, parades, elementary school readings, etc. The feeling from giving back to the community is indescribable and I will always strive to volunteer in one way or another.
Last Saturday in the Pac-12 tourney title game Arizona had a 2-PT win over UCLA: where does that rank among the most exciting games that you have ever seen? I think it is by far the most exciting game that I have ever experienced! President Robbins was not kidding when he said he liked to call T-Mobile Arena “McKale North”. Although there were a bunch of UCLA fans, they could not even compare to the Wildcat fans because of their energy, love for the university, and love for our athletic teams. Although the game was super-close, and I still do not have my voice back yet, it was a game that I will never forget and will probably be ranked on the top of my list forever.
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? For the pomline, we decide who gets to go to each tournament based on seniority. Seniors get the first bid and after that juniors get to take the remaining spots. It sounds like a simple process, but with only 6 tournament spots there is an extremely high expectation for anyone who gets chosen to travel. It really is an honor to be chosen whether or not you are a senior and the expectations for traveling only get higher from here. I am so excited to see our group take on the NCAA tournament. We have worked so hard this year and have cheered our basketball team onto victory so many times already. I cannot wait for all of our hard work to pay off and to be able to showcase what we can do on national TV!
Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for the NCAA tourney? As we get more details moving forward for the NCAA tourney I am sure that we will have some more stuff up our sleeves, but for now we are super-excited to continue performing with Arizona Cheer and Mascots in a joint performance, and of course the Pride of Arizona Pep Band. We’re ready to bring more energy than ever and hopefully get our basketball team a national championship!
Any predictions for the Wildcats next week? Even though the Pac-12 tournament seems like it just ended, I think our team is going to come off really strong this week with a big win against Princeton. These NCAA games just keep getting bigger and bigger so I am excited to see what our team has in store. The pomline and all of Wildcat nation has seen them work so hard this season. It has all paid off so far, but I think the big Pac-12 championship will give us a lot of confidence going into these first 2 rounds so that we can pull off 2 more Wildcat wins. I cannot wait to see where our team takes us and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to travel with them! Bear down, go Cats!