Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews UCSB Dance Team captain Tevai De Mello

Posted on March 17, 2023 by Jon Teitel

Last Saturday UCSB beat Fullerton 72-62 in the Big West tourney title game to clinch an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Gauchos only won 17 games last year but have won 27 games this year and clinched the school’s 2nd NCAA tourney bid in the past 3 years. 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. Yesterday HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with UCSB Dance Team captain Tevai De Mello about her leadership/advocacy experience.

You were born/raised in San Diego: what made you choose UCSB? Santa Barbara feels like a mini-San Diego, and as someone who considers myself a homebody I am so glad that I am only a 4-hour drive from home. Location aside, UCSB is an amazing school and I am so grateful for all of the opportunities that I have had through UCSB to grow as a student/dancer/person.

You have been dancing for more than a decade: how did you 1st get into dancing, and what is the best part? My mom used to dance when she was younger so she signed me up for a ballet class to see if I would like it too. I did not want to go at first because I was scared to step outside of my comfort zone, but per usual my mom was right and I ended up falling in love with dance. Twelve years later, dance is still my creative outlet and the friendships I have formed through dance are unmatched.

You have been team captain for the past 2 years: what is the key to being a good leader? The most memorable leaders that I have had in my life have always led by example, so I strive to hold myself accountable and to the same standards that I encourage my teammates to uphold. Communication is also a major factor so I think it is important for leaders to cultivate a team dynamic where everyone feels comfortable voicing their own opinions. This mutual respect for your teammates is so beneficial for the overall wellbeing/success of the team.

You are majoring in Psychological and Brain Sciences: how did you choose those subjects? I have always been drawn to psychology because it is relatable/applicable to our everyday lives. I think it is an important subject to study, not only for my own well-being but also for others.

You graduate in a few months: what is the post-graduation plan? Dance is a very important part of my life so I hope to continue dancing professionally after I graduate. I also currently work with an organization called Voice in Sport: I advocate for change regarding Title IX and inequality in our current sports landscape. After I graduate I plan to use my leadership/advocacy experience to further promote these initiatives for the dance community and for other future athletes.

This year at the UDA Collegiate Nationals your team placed 3rd in the nation in D-1 Jazz and 4th in the nation in D-1 Pom: how have you been able to accomplish so much despite being a self-coached/self-funded squad? When you are all working towards a common goal you learn to have a different type of appreciation/respect for one another. Not having a coach taught us how to work as a team. Leaving UDA Nationals with two national titles was even more rewarding knowing that it was our teamwork that got us so far.

Last Saturday in the Big West tourney title game you had a 10-PT win over Fullerton to make the NCAA tourney for the 2nd time in 3 years: what has the reaction been like since returning to campus? This year UCSB started transitioning into a more immersive gameday experience, which has immensely elevated our school spirit. The spirit teams undoubtedly play a major role in this and since returning from the Big West Tournament I have noticed a lot of excitement/admiration. Everyone is so proud of the men’s basketball team for coming out on top as the Big West Champions and we cannot wait to see our school represented in March Madness!

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? The UCSB Athletic department invited each spirit team (Dance/Cheer/Pep Band) to cheer on our Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams at the Big West Tournament, but due to conference rules each spirit team was only allowed a limited number of attendees. Bands were limited to 29 people, while dance/cheer teams can only bring 12 members to sit courtside. A majority of my teammates had schedule conflicts so only eight of us were able to represent the Dance Team at the tournament. This was the first year since COVID that the UCSB spirit teams were able to attend the Big West Tournament. Being reintegrated into the tournament and witnessing the championship win first-hand was an amazing experience! I am just grateful that my team is getting more recognition this year and that I am able to end my era of collegiate dancing on such a high note.

Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for the NCAA tourney? Unfortunately, none of the UCSB spirit teams will not be attending the remainder of the NCAA tournament but we will still be cheering on the Gauchos from our living rooms!

Any predictions for the Gauchos on Friday afternoon vs. Baylor? The Gauchos are as hungry as ever and have been working hard all season so I have full confidence that UCSB will come out on top!

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Indiana band member Kal Ellison

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Jon Teitel

Last Saturday Indiana lost to Penn State 77-73 in the Big 10 tourney semifinals but still clinched an at-large bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Hoosiers only won 12 games in 2021 but have now had back-to-back seasons of 21+ wins and claimed the school’s 2nd straight NCAA tourney bid. 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 Indiana band member Kal Ellison about growing up in Bloomington.

You are from Bloomington, IN: what made you choose Indiana? I am from Bloomington so I was used to being in/around the campus already. IU is a big school so it was nice to already be familiar with it before becoming a student. The main reason I chose IU though was because I wanted to join a marching band in college and out of the schools I applied to, IU had the best marching band. Through the band I have made a lot of friends and was able to make a large campus feel smaller by being in the band.

How did you 1st get into music, and what is the best part of being in the band? I first got into band in middle school. I wanted to start playing an instrument because my older sister was in band and I wanted to have that same experience. I have played a lot of different instruments since middle school and was in the marching band in high school as well as in college. The best part of being in band is getting to make music with a lot of the different people and the friends that you meet through it.

You previously were the drum major for the Marching Hundred: what is it like to be out there on the football field in front of tens of thousands of fans? During my first year as drum major I was fairly nervous about performing in front of so many people. It is a lot different than being a regular marching band member who is marching with an instrument because you are able to blend in/hide that way. As a drum major I was tossing a large stick in the air that I needed to catch and also blowing a whistle very loudly for the band and all the fans to hear. Any mistake that you make is easily noticed by those watching. However, in my second season leading the band as drum major it was a lot easier and less nerve-racking. This past season was also a lot of fun for me to perform, especially since our marching band had just gotten a twirler (Sydney Butz), which we have not had for a very long time. It was a lot of fun to perform alongside her and create routines with her.

You play the mellophone in the Big Red Basketball Band: what on earth is a mellophone, and what kind of songs does the band perform at games? A mellophone kind of looks like a fat trumpet with a wide front facing bell. It is an instrument used for marching band and pep bands as a mid-range instrument instead of a French Horn. A French Horn has a bell that faces backward and is also quite hard to play so it is not really ideal for a marching band: you want to project your sound forward and it is also more difficult to play while marching. The Big Red Basketball Band (BRBB) has about 75 different tunes that we can play. Our more notable ones that we typically play for most games (since we cannot get through all 75!) are of course our fight songs (Indiana Our Indiana, Indiana Fight) as well as “Seven Nation Army”, “Sweet Georgia Brown” (which we start every game with), “Basket Case”, “Welcome to the Jungle”, and “The William Tell Overture” (which is part out one of our timeouts, known as the greatest timeout in college basketball!). My favorite song is named after one of our directors, Dr. Eric Smedley: it is the Shakira song “Objection” but we just call it “Tango di Smedley”. The song has a mellophone feature in it that is really fun to play.

You are majoring in exercise science: why did you choose that subject? I chose exercise science because it allowed me to learn in a variety of science classes with a focus on exercise. I felt like I could go into a lot of different professions that I was interested in by choosing exercise science. I do not exactly know what I want to do for the rest of my life but I am very happy with where I am currently.

What is the post-graduation plan? I actually graduated last December so my current schedule is the short-term post-graduation plan. I am learning a lot and meeting a lot of great coaches by interning in Memorial Stadium, and my coaching continues to get better as I learn from them. It is really nice to take what I learn there and then transfer it over to my personal training job in town where I have about 20 clients at the moment at Force Fitness and Performance. I want to eventually get a job working for a college athletic department. I am not exactly sure what job specifically, which is part of why I am doing the internship to try and figure that out. I will probably need to go to grad school to become qualified for a position but I am not in a hurry to rush to grad school right now.

You also work as a personal trainer and assist in the Memorial Stadium weight room as strength and conditioning intern: have you had a chance to work with any of the players on the basketball team? I have not had the chance to work with the basketball team: I believe they have their own weight room in a different building which is not in Memorial Stadium. I have mostly been working with volleyball, softball, women’s soccer, field hockey, and some athletes from track and field. Interns are not assigned to specific teams: those just happen to be the teams that are in the gym when I am available, but they are all a lot of fun and I really enjoy being there with them.

Last Saturday your team lost to Penn State in the Big 10 tourney semifinals: what is the mood like on campus now that the NCAA tourney is here? Spring break at IU started 2 days after our game against Penn State, so there have not been any students on campus, so I cannot really speak to whether it affected the mood on campus at all.

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? The band takes 29 members/1 director to tournaments. There are around 145 band members in the BRBB that are split up into 2 separate bands: a women’s team band which anyone is welcome to be in, and a men’s team band which members audition to get into. These bands are entirely composed of members from that Marching Hundred members the previous fall. That is a LOT of band members to choose from for travel and the decision is based on multiple factors. Everyone shares their availability to see who can go on the trip so that it does not interfere with exams/projects/classes. They also take into account your attendance during that regular season of basketball and how many years you have been a member of the BRBB. From there our band directors will choose which members go on tournament trips.

Does the band have anything extra-special planned for Albany, and any predictions for the Hoosiers on Friday night vs. Kent State? In Albany we went to an open practice for the team. This is the first time I had been to one and the first time I have seen the band invited to one. We played some songs for them during the practice and I really hope that the team enjoyed it. It was fun being there to support the team and I hope having the band at their practice was not too distracting. Other than that, we have just been enjoying exploring Albany. As for the upcoming game against Kent State, I sure hope that our Hoosiers come out on top. I think they will win…and it would be nice to spend a few more days in Albany.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Sacramento State SR G Kahlaijah Dean

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Jon Teitel

Last week Sacramento State beat NAU 76-63 in the Big Sky tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Hornets lost to NAU in OT in early-February but have won 9 in a row since then and clinched the 1st NCAA tourney bid in school history. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Sacramento State SR G Kahlaijah Dean about being named conference POY.

You played basketball/track/volleyball at Independence High School: which sport were you best at, and which sport did you enjoy the most? I was best at basketball, but I most definitely enjoyed both track and volleyball (volleyball a little more than track).

You began your college career at Oakland, where you were named 2020 conference 6th Player of Year: what is the biggest difference between starting vs. coming off the bench? The biggest difference is having to keep that momentum going or giving your team that energy when you are the 1 coming off the bench. I think you have more pressure coming off the bench because you have to give a little bit more and (depending on how long until you enter the game) you have to be ready to go at all times.

Why did you decide to transfer, and what made you choose Sacramento State? I chose Sacramento State because of the bond that I built with Coach Mark Campbell. He stood out the most from other schools and he wanted to know more about me than just who I was as a basketball player.

1 of your assistant coaches is Nyara Sabally, who was drafted 5th overall by the New York Liberty last April: what makes her such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from her so far? Having Coach Sabally as an assistant coach is such a huge blessing. She is a woman of few words but they are very meaningful words. She is very honest with me about how I can become a better player. She makes sure that I play my best everyday and everything she has taught me is important.

This year you averaged 21.1 PPG/4.7 RPG/5.8 APG/1.4 SPG en route to being named conference POY: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It was a blessing to receive the player of the year award. I do not really work to get accolades: I just play to win but it is good to see all of my hard work paying off. I could not have achieved that honor without my teammates/coaches: they are the ones who trusted me and put me in the position to be able to earn this award.

You also improved your 3-PT shooting from 28.2% last year to 38.5% this year: what is the secret to making shots from behind the arc? I just made better decisions with my shot selection in addition to taking what the defense gave me. Getting shots up in the gym on a consistent basis has also helped me grow as a player.

Last Wednesday in the Big Sky tourney title game you scored 16 PTS in a win over NAU en route to being named conference tourney MVP: what did it mean to you to win a title, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? It meant everything to me to win a title. I have been playing basketball since I was a kid and it is what we as players dream of. I am glad that our team was able to make our dream a reality: it felt very surreal. Playing three games in three days was not an easy task, but every time that we stepped onto the court we truly gave it our all. The feeling in the locker room was very exciting…other than trying to run away from my assistant coaches Nyara Sabally/Minyon Moore because I did not want to get sprayed with water! People who know me are aware that I am not much of a fan of cold water. They chased me down and soaked me, but it was smiles/laughs all around the locker room. We did something that had never been done before at Sacramento State.

Your cousin Joey Porter won Super Bowl XL with the Steelers: who is the best athlete in the family? I mean he played at the highest level so he may have me beat. His son Joey Jr. did such a good job as well as a football player at Penn State and will soon be drafted into the NFL. Maybe we will all have to meet up one day and see!

How do you feel about being a 13 seed? Seeding does not mean everything to me and will not define who we are as a team. We will prepare for UCLA and continue to play our game no matter who our opponent is.

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Happy Anniversary! HoopsHD interviews Artie Wilson about Melton Werts

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Jon Teitel

The Hawaii sports scene involves a lot more than surfing. The Rainbow Warriors won 22 games this year before a 2-PT OT loss to Fullerton in the Big West tourney. Almost 50 years ago Hawaii made the 1974 NIT and even won a game before losing to eventual champion Purdue. 1 of the stars of that team was Melton Werts, who averaged 13 PPG/13 RPG. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Melton’s teammate Artie Wilson about that postseason run. Today marks the 49th anniversary of Hawaii’s win over Fairfield in the NIT on March 16, 1974, so we take this time to remember their amazing accomplishment.

Melton grew up in Pennsylvania: what made him choose Hawaii? We had a great coach at the time in Bruce O’Neil who was also a great recruiter. He had an incredible knack for plucking people off the East Coast and bringing them to Hawaii.

He was the 1st freshman to play for the Rainbow Warriors when the NCAA eliminated its ban on freshman in 1972: did fans/coaches feel that freshmen were ready for the varsity at the time? I was a freshman here a couple of years before Mel. He had gone to prep school and was ready to play as a freshman. He was big/strong and ready to be a big-time player even as a freshman.

In January of 1973 he had 22 PTS/21 REB vs. South Alabama: where does that rank among the most dominating performances that you have ever seen? I think he had many great games. The beauty is that he had a veteran backcourt in Tom Henderson/myself who had spent 2 years playing together. We guided him and helped him quite a bit.

In February of 1973 he tied a school record with 8 BLK vs. UCSD and his 163 career BLK is #2 in school history: what made him such a great shot-blocker? For his size/weight he was a pretty quick jumper. He enjoyed being an intimidator and wanted to claim the rim/paint as his own. He had extremely long arms and flailed them around quite a bit.

In the 1974 NIT the team had a 1-PT win over Fairfield before losing to Purdue: what are your memories of that postseason run? We had beaten Purdue in the Rainbow Classic earlier that season but our starting SF was declared ineligible from his days before arriving in Hawaii, which was really a negative for us.

In 1976 he played a few games for interim coach Rick Pitino: what was Pitino like back in the day, and could you have ever imagined at the time that he would win a pair of NCAA titles? I would not have imagined that. I met him while working out after being released by the Portland Trailblazers: he came in and wanted to throw me out of the gym that I had been playing in for 4 years. He was brash/aggressive and pretty sure of himself but he loved the game and thought that he was pretty special. He was well-connected on the East Coast.

His 1098 career REB remains the most in school history: what was his secret for being a great rebounder? He wanted to rebound and had the passion/desire for it. He took a lot of pride in wanting to claim every rebound as his.

He averaged a double-double for his career with 12.5 PPG/10.5 RPG: how did he balance his scoring with his rebounding? His 1st couple of years he did not have to score as much because we had a pretty good team that got up and down the floor. In his final 2 seasons he had younger guards who were trying to establish themselves. If he had played after the dunking rule was changed then he would have averaged another 6-7 PTS during his career. He was unstoppable and would try to break our hands in practice if we tried to block his shot! Mel wanted to throw it down on people hard.

He played pro basketball in the US as well as overseas: how proud are you of all his success? I am very happy that he had a long career. I wish that I could have played with him for 2 more years in college but I was happy that he took it to another level. I think he played around 15 years of pro basketball.

When people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? As probably 1 of the all-time great big men in Hawaii history. He was a difference-maker on both offense/defense. He had a strong motor and became the player that he wanted to be.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Memphis pom member Anna Merritt

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Jon Teitel

Last Sunday Memphis beat Houston 75-65 in the AAC tourney title game to clinch an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Tigers lost a pair of games to the Cougars during the past few weeks by a combined 10 PTS but the 3rd time was the charm as they claimed the school’s 2nd straight NCAA tourney bid. 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 Memphis pom member Anna Merritt about teaching the next generation of dancers.

You are from Nashville, TN: what made you choose Memphis? The dance team and the program that Coach Carol Lloyd has created. I wanted to continue dancing while continuing my education: it just felt like home.

You have been dancing for most of your life: how did you 1st get into it, and what is the best part? I tried soccer for a couple of years…but it did not go over that well. There is a dance studio 5 minutes from my house and my mom suggested I try that instead. When you are with those people 24/7 it becomes like a family so the friendships are the best thing that have come out of it.

You are studying Exercise Sport & Movement Science: why did you choose those subjects? In high school I had an elective focus on health sciences and it just registered very well in my brain. All of my orthopedists/physical therapists have made a positive impact on my life so I want to make that kind of impact on the lives of other athletes.

You also teach at a local dance studio called Sequel Dance Complex: how old are your students and what kind of dancing do you teach? I teach kids from ages 3-18 and all different styles: contemporary, hip-hop, and everything else.

What is the post-graduation plan? As of now my plan is to finish up my degree at Memphis and then go to PT or PA school. I will apply to the Tennessee College of Health Sciences so I plan to be around Memphis for quite a while.

Your team lost to Houston twice in the regular season but then beat them last Sunday in the AAC tourney title game: where does that last game rank among the most exciting that you have ever seen? I was at the 1st 2 games but was not at the AAC tourney. Even while watching the game last weekend on TV I could still feel all of the emotion on the faces of the players and our squad on the sideline.

What is the mood like on campus now that the NCAA tourney is here? I think that everyone is excited to see how far we can go. More people are getting engaged in athletics after seeing how much of an impact the team has made this year.

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? The travel decision ultimately belongs to the coach. It depends on how many appearances we have made throughout the season as well as our grades. We are super-excited to dance/cheer at the game because we have not really traveled to an event like this before.

Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for the NCAA tourney? No, we will just do our same-old same-old and cause a ruckus on the sideline while cheering for our boys!

Any predictions for the Tigers on Friday night in Columbus? I feel like we will win so I am excited.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Maryland cheerleader Karen Gottlieb

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Jon Teitel

Last Friday Maryland lost to Indiana 70-60 in the Big 10 tourney quarterfinals but was still able to clinch an at-large bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Terps won 17 games under Mark Turgeon in 2021 and 15 games under Danny Manning in 2022 but have won 21 games under Kevin Willard in 2023 and claimed the school’s 1st NCAA tourney bid since 2021. 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 Maryland cheerleader Karen Gottlieb about being a captain.

You are from Gaithersburg, MD: what made you choose Maryland? I have lived in Maryland for my entire life so even from a young age UMD was at the top of my list. I had a deep interest in attending a prestigious/reputable institution. Additionally, I am a homebody and definitely prefer to stay close to my family/pets. UMD satisfied all of those requirements for me and I had the most amazing college experience attending the University of Maryland!

You have been on the UMD cheer team for 4 straight years and are a co-captain this year: what is the key to being a good leader? I have always strived to be a leader on every team that I have been on. The key to being a good leader for me is the ability for open/free-flowing communication. I believe that as an older member and inherent leader on the team I need to be a welcoming/inviting person who anyone on the team can feel comfortable enough to speak with about any positive/negative things they are experiencing without fear of judgment. It is extremely important to have a successful relationship between the team, its leaders, and the coaching staff.

You did gymnastics for several years before switching to competitive cheerleading at age 10: why did you make the switch, and what is the best part? I absolutely loved gymnastics when I was really young. However, as I got older, the number of practices/week increased significantly and it was definitely taking a toll on my physical/mental well-being. My parents and I knew that there was a cheerleading gym across the street from my gymnastics gym so one day we decided to look into it. After attending a cheerleading practice and absolutely adoring it, my parents decided to pull me out of gymnastics and enroll me at the cheerleading gym: Dream Allstars in Gaithersburg, MD. I stayed at my competitive cheer gym for seven years and the best part was definitely the team atmosphere. Like UMD cheer, my teams at Dream had a very supportive/competitive environment that pushed everyone to be the best athlete they could be. Every cheer team I have ever been on has been like a family.

You are in a sorority at UMD: what is Greek life like on campus? Being a part of Greek life at UMD is something that I have absolutely loved during my college career. The thing about Greek life at Maryland is that it is pretty small so you can have just as amazing a time at school without being a part of a fraternity/sorority. I love being a part of a community, which is why I decided to join my sorority and also become a member of the cheerleading team. Greek life at UMD is extremely inclusive and has given me so many lifelong friendships and memories that I will cherish!

You are double-majoring in economics and public policy: why did you choose those subjects? When I started my freshman year at UMD I was undecided about what I wanted to study. When I was in high school I took AP macroeconomics/microeconomics classes and excelled at both. My mother also majored in economics when she was in college so I decided that I wanted to give it a try. I ended up enjoying it so much that I finished all of my Econ courses prior to my senior year! Because I had scored well during my AP economics class in high school I was able to enter UMD with a few Econ credits. These credits allowed me to have a schedule that was fairly open, which is why I decided to add a second major. I had an interest in working in the public sector so I added public policy to learn about governmental relations. Now that I am a senior, I am so happy that I added public policy because I have developed a deep interest in working in local/state-level politics.

What is the post-graduation plan? I am in a program at Maryland that has allowed me to take around 10 credits of graduate courses in my undergrad in order to graduate with a master’s degree in just 1 year. The program that I am enrolled in is part of the Smith School of Business, and in May of 2024 I will graduate with a Master of Science in marketing analytics. I am also in the process of auditioning for the Baltimore Ravens Cheerleading team and will find out in a few weeks whether I am selected to be a member!

Last Friday your team lost to Indiana in the Big 10 tourney quarterfinals: what is the mood like on campus now that the NCAA tourney is here? The loss last Friday was obviously not intended, but with the NCAA tourney now starting the mood on campus is excited/hopeful. The UMD fan base is die-hard and extremely optimistic for a good outcome in the upcoming tournament game. Maryland fans are supporters for life and we want nothing but the best for our teams!

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? Travel is limited to 8 individuals from the cheer team: the coaches select athletes based on seniority, position need, and other factors. Typically, we all get a chance to travel at some point but there are some instances when that cannot happen (like tournament season). The UMD cheerleading team has the amazing opportunity to represent our school at the NCA Collegiate Cheerleading National competition on April 6th/7th in Daytona, Florida. Therefor, this time of year is extremely busy for the cheer team. We are divided up so that we can allocate some cheerleaders to compete at nationals and some others to travel to both the men’s/women’s basketball tournaments. I was not selected to cheer at the NCAA Tournament but am thrilled to see my teammates cheering on our team in person.

Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for Birmingham? The squad that is in Birmingham has already sent so many pictures of everyone hanging out and having a great time together. They have had some free time and decided to go to Top Golf and have a nice team dinner. Having the opportunity to travel to away games and tournaments is a huge privilege that the cheerleaders get to participate in so they are super-excited to cheer at the game on Thursday.

Any predictions for the Terps on Thursday afternoon vs. West Virginia? I predict that the UMD men’s basketball team is going to beat West Virginia with flying colors! I wish them luck: Go Terps!

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