CHEER & DANCE TEAMS NAMED GAME DAY DIVISION I NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
DAYTONA, F.L. – On Tuesday, April 2nd the Bryant University Cheer and Dance teams traveled to Daytona, Florida to compete in the NCA/NDA National Collegiate Championship. The teams earned their bid to nationals back in August 2018 at the NCA/NDA camp and have been practicing their choreography since.
On Wednesday, the teams conducted a total of four practices throughout the day to ensure that their routine was flawless. They were set to compete in the Game Day Division I category against Niagara University, the College of Charleston, and University of South Dakota. The requirements for a routine in this division were a band chant, a cheer, and a fight song. The Bulldogs’ three-minute routine was comprised of eighteen cheerleaders, eight dancers, two drummers, a baton twirler, and our mascot, Tupper to create the game day experience.
After competing in the preliminary competition round on Thursday, April 4th, the Bryant Cheer and Dance teams learned that they had placed first amongst the schools in the Game Day Division I, six points ahead of the second place team. As first seed, the Bulldogs would then perform last in the final round the next day.
On Friday, the Bulldogs watched as each team performed their routine one last time. A final score at the NCA/NDA competition is made up with 25% of the team’s preliminary score, and 75% of their final round score. With two common goals shared across the team, to go out there and hit every point of their routine and also to make Bryant Cheer and Dance history as national champions, the Bulldogs gave it their all in a confident, remarkable performance.
Anxiously awaiting the results of the competition, the Bulldogs soon discovered that they had won first place and earned the title of NCA/NDA Game Day Division I National Champions! Coach Toni Gravel noted, “When they announced our name as the winner for our division it was not only rewarding but emotional for everyone. This team worked endlessly towards being nothing but the absolute best to achieve their goals. We went up in score on day 2 which increased our overall score.”
The Bulldogs were able to return home with a trophy in hand and a title that will go down in history for the Bryant Cheer and Dance teams. Be sure to congratulate the members on all of their success, as they have worked diligently all year for this achievement.
Follow the Bryant Cheer team as they rally for next season through their Twitter and Instagram: @Bryant_Cheer! For updates on club teams’ performance and information about intramural please follow @Bryant_Rec on Twitter.
Written by: Bobbie DiScuillo