Last Friday Iowa State lost to Arizona 82-80 in the Big 12 tourney semifinals on a memorable buzzer-beater (www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzOcCJ0dh74) but still earned an at-large bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Cyclones have now made the NCAA tourney 5 years in a row and will open as a #2 seed against Tennessee State in St. Louis on Friday. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Iowa State cheerleader Devon Loken about winning multiple national titles and making the NCAA tourney.
You are from Bentonville, AR: how did you choose Iowa State? With the University of Arkansas just 30 minutes away from my house, I felt like it was best for me to get out and broaden my horizons. I started looking at other colleges, and the main ones were KU and Iowa State. I sat down with my freshman science teacher in high school, and he did a lot of research for me on Iowa State. We looked at degrees, campus, but most importantly to me, the cheer team. We found that Iowa State had performed very well year after year at NCA College Nationals in Daytona, FL. From there I was pretty much sold, but what really finalized it was meeting the team/coaches at Iowa State. From day one they have been amazing, always supportive, and pushing us to be our best.
You are pursuing a major in entrepreneurship with minors in marketing/management: how did you choose those subjects? I have always been interested in business and have been taking business classes since I was 12 years old. There is a story of how when I was five years old, I was selling my neighbor’s mulch to another neighbor for $5 a handful! Honestly, I think a lot of it comes from my dad. He and I have always bonded over business, often having phone calls discussing imaginary business plans.
You are a sophomore: do you have a post-graduation plan yet? I have been in talks with a few companies about possible plans. My current plan is to continue working with the National Cheerleaders Association and Varsity Spirit, specifically in their NCA Leadership Camp department.
You have been a competitive cheerleader for almost a decade: how did you 1st get into cheering? Before I became a cheerleader I was a gymnast for 6 years, but I was getting to the point where I fell out of love with it. I decided that since I have committed for such a long time to learning things like tumbling that it would make sense for my next sport to have something like that. Eventually cheerleading appeared, and it has been amazing ever since.
You had a lot of cheer success in the past: what did it mean to you to win multiple national titles? It is the best feeling in the world. Going onto a national stage with your best friends and teammates and knowing that you all put in the work is an indescribable feeling. I am looking forward to hopefully winning my first title with Iowa State this April in Daytona.
1 of your hobbies is traveling: what country is at the top of your wish list? I was lucky enough to travel to Paris, France on my way to Dublin, Ireland this past fall to cheer on the Cyclones football team, so those are now off the wish list. One city I would still love to visit is Rome, Italy.
Iowa State was 1 of 8 Big 12 teams who made the NCAA tourney: what is it like to be part of arguably the best basketball conference in the country? I feel like the Big 12 is the best basketball conference in the country, and I love being part of it. The fans are always the most passionate and the loudest in the arena. I am super-excited for a Big 12 takeover in the NCAA tourney.
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? The biggest thing is who is consistently performing well: not just at practice but also in Hilton Coliseum. We always want to bring the best that we can to the tournaments so that way we can hype up both the crowd and our team. I am excited to see my friends and teammates in front of a national TV audience, and am excited to share the hard work we put into cheer on the Cyclones.
Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for St. Louis? We are planning on incorporating some new dances and more exciting stunts into the tournament. We are excited to bring all our energy into the Enterprise Center and continue to bring the “Hilton Magic” to St. Louis.
Any predictions for the Cyclones this month? There is only one national champion on my bracket and that is the Cyclones of Iowa State!
