Last Friday Michigan State beat Bryant 87-62 in an NCAA tourney 1st round game in Cleveland to earn a spot in the 2nd round. The Bulldogs started this season 6-9 but only lost 2 games from New Year’s Eve through Selection Sunday as they made it back to the NCAA tourney for the 2nd time in 4 years. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Bryant cheerleader Jessica Maffe about being a good leader and facing the Spartans last weekend.
You are from Wakefield, MA: what made you choose Bryant? I chose Bryant because of the sense of community I felt when I toured the campus. Everyone was so welcoming and I knew I could make this place my home!
You are captain of the cheer team: what is the key to being a good leader? For me, the key to being a good leader is being adaptable. Every athlete likes to be led differently, so the key is figuring out what the team needs and then being able to adapt to fit those needs.
You are majoring in marketing/international business: how did you choose those subjects? I like marketing because I enjoy learning about consumer behavior: in other words, why people buy the things they do. I am currently pursuing my MBA, so I chose International Business as my specialization because I wanted to apply everything I have learned over the past four years on a global scale.
You are a senior: what is the post-graduation plan? Right now the plan is to work in Boston at a tech sales company…but I am still open to whatever gets thrown my way!
1 of your hobbies is fitness: any tips for our readers who want to get in better shape? Find something you love! For me, it is cheerleading, but you will stay consistent if you love what you do.
Last Saturday in the America East tourney title game the Bulldogs had a win over Maine to clinch the title: what was the reaction like after the final buzzer went off, and how excited is everyone on campus this week? The vibes on campus were definitely high: the second that the buzzer went off, I realized I would be traveling to March Madness! Being a senior, it was an extra special moment for me. Getting to travel with my team was one of the coolest experiences and I would not trade it for the world.
Your team started this season 6-9 but then won 17 of its next 19 games: did it reach a point where everyone expected the team to win every time that they stepped onto the court? When you start winning a lot, people expect it to keep happening. Nonetheless, we still cheer our hearts out and give them all the support they need!
How did your school decide who got to go to the NCAA tourney, and what did it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? Our coaches choose who gets to travel based on a wide variety of attributes: performance, attitude, and stunt position. It means the world that this group of girls gets to cheer at the tournament, and means even more that I get to do it with my fellow seniors.
Did your squad have anything extra-special planned for last weekend? We had a few media and halftime routines planned for the tournament and were ready to support the team!
How was the big game? They played their hearts out and put up a good fight. We are so proud of our Bulldogs making it to the tournament despite coming from a little school in Rhode Island, and so proud of the season they had.
