This has been a dream season for C-USA. In addition to FAU making the Final 4 for the 1st time ever, both North Texas and UAB are still alive in the Final 4 of the NIT. The Mean Green have won 29 games (and counting) and had a good chance to sweep the Owls during the regular season before coming up short in a pair of 4-PT losses. 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 North Texas dance team member Camryn Stowers about being part of 1 of the best basketball conferences in the country.
You are from Houston: what made you choose North Texas? I have a lot of family/friends in the DFW area so I traveled up here all the time as a kid during family road trips. My uncle works here so it just came full-circle, plus I fell in love with the dance team. They also have a great psychology program here.
You have been dancing for most of your life: how did you 1st get into it, and what is the best part? Technically I have been dancing for 19 years but my mom was dancing while she was pregnant with me so perhaps even earlier than that! I love dancing because it lets me move around and let go of all the stresses in my life.
You are a co-captain this year: what is the key to being a good leader? There are many keys but a big 1 is to be authentic. If not then you will never be able to grow your team. 1 of my favorite sayings is, “There is never any comfort in the growth zone and never any growth in the comfort zone”.
You are majoring in Psychology Pre-Med and minoring in Human Development and Family Science: why did you choose those subjects? My mom is a mental health counselor so I have always grown up around it and learned the importance of protecting your mental health. I initially wanted to do forensic psychology but I love working with kids and want to help them stop any problems before they start.
Your post-graduation plan is to become a Pediatric Psychiatrist: how many more years of school will that take (if any), and what does a Pediatric Psychiatrist do? I want to get my doctorate so I am looking at another 5-8 years after college: pray for me! I would prefer to be more on the clinical side: legally prescribing medication and seeing what the kids are growing through. I also want to help their families in general.
You are an executive board member of your chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha: what is Greek life like at North Texas? It is incredible! I am still a neophyte who just crossed last spring but I have embraced everything that the university has to offer. I have learned much through out community service projects: we work with a lot of kids/elderly folks, which I think is great.
Some of your hobbies include singing/cooking: do you have a favorite song, and do you have a favorite food? It is hard to pick 1 song, as it changes every day, but SZA’s “SOS” album is the 1 in my head at the moment. Bacon is my favorite pizza topping and I love all kinds of Italian food.
Last year your conference only had 1 team win 27 games (UAB), but this year you have 3 teams still alive who have already won 28 games (FAU/North Texas/UAB): what is it like to have such a competitive league? I am extremely proud of the Mean Green. We did not win the C-USA title this year but did set a school record for wins in 1 season. We are moving into the AAC next year: it is a bigger conference but we are more than capable of competing.
How did your school decide who gets to go to the NIT, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? We have a travel squad of all vets. Our coach chooses the most elite performers who can project/connect with the crowd. It is always bigger than yourself when it comes to dance, so as a student ambassador it is extremely cool to be on the frontlines while showcasing our school. We are currently #2 in the nation in D-1A pom!
Any predictions for the Mean Green on Tuesday vs. Wisconsin in Las Vegas? A blow out win! A win for the Mean Green is always a win for me so Go Mean Green! As our fight song says: “Victory in store whatever the score”.