Last Thursday BYU lost to Houston 73-66 in the Big 12 tourney quarterfinals but still earned an at-large bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Cougars have now made the NCAA tourney 3 years in a row, and will open as a #6 seed (also for the 3rd year in a row!) against the NC State-Texas winner in Portland on Thursday. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with BYU cheerleader Macie Nashif about being a good leader and making the NCAA tourney.
Your father Terry was a basketball player/assistant coach at BYU: how easy was your own decision to attend BYU? It was pretty easy: my mother went here as well so I spent a lot of time on campus as a kid.
You are majoring in computer science: why did you choose that subject? I recently switched my major to cyber security because it is something I am very passionate about.
You are a freshman: do you have a post-graduation plan yet? Not yet: I still have time!
You were Varsity Cheer Captain during your final 2 years of high school: what is the key to being a good leader? Setting a good example for your teammates and showing what it means to represent the program. You must have good communication with the coach/athletes to understand everyone’s needs and make everyone happy.
1 of your hobbies is working out: any tips for our readers who want to get in better shape? Consistency is key. You do not have to be perfect, but setting a goal and sticking to it will take you a long way.
BYU was 1 of 8 Big 12 teams who made the NCAA tourney: what is it like to be part of arguably the best basketball conferences in the country? It is amazing to watch all that athletic talent and cheer on our team. The gameday atmosphere is so fun because our fanbase is so great.
Your fellow BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa led the nation in scoring this year: how have you enjoyed having a front-row seat to watch 1 of the best players in the nation? It has been amazing. Our entire team is awesome and does a great job of representing our school, so it is fun to watch them up close.
How does your school decide who gets to attend the NCAA tourney, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? Our captains get to put all the travel teams together: some of us have to stay back on campus because we have to balance everything. It will be awesome to represent our school.
Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for Portland? We will just do some pep rallies and spend time with our team.
Any predictions for the Cougars this week? I have been to a lot of games vs. Gonzaga (who could end up being BYU’s 2nd round opponent) during my life, but I have never cheered at 1 before so…GO COUGS!
