SHU Cheerleading Captures Second-Straight National Championship
5/2/2021 12:00:00 AM | Cheerleading
ORLANDO, Fla. – Like the rest of its peers, the Sacred Heart University cheerleading team was unsure if it was going to be able to compete this year. Not only did the Pioneers compete, but they also brought home a Universal Cheerleaders Association National Championship for the second year in a row.
Sacred Heart captured the title in the Open All-Girl Game Day competition, held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The Pioneers were also fifth in Division 1 All-Girl event. Last season SHU won its first national championship in the All-Girl Division I competition.
"This victory is incredible especially after the season we've had and the obstacles we've overcome," head coach CJ Serrano said. "One national title was surreal but to bring home a second title in consecutive years is an absolute dream."
Like the rest of the fall sports, the normal report date for the cheerleading squad is the beginning of August, but this year because of COVID that was pushed back to September. The late start was offset by UCA nationals being pushed back from January to April.
What did affect the team was the limitation of only working in pods for several weeks. Partner stunts and pyramids, which are essential to their performance, couldn't be practice – or introduced to many of the rookies – until later in the year. That would be the same as the SHU quarterbacks not being able to throw to any receivers. Adding to the challenge of learning the stunts and pyramids was the team's inexperience. Only four members of this year's winning squad were on the team last season.
Positive COVID cases also derailed the team during two key times. A home training camp was canceled twice and as well as the winter break practices, where a large portion of the prep times is put in. Serrano said she didn't have a full team practice until about three weeks before nationals.
An UCA instructor – who helps choreograph the routine for both teams – wasn't able to come on campus until mid-February. Once the routines have been finalized, the team runs through each part over and over until they are nearly perfected. The individual parts are eventual put together until the team is running the complete routine full out. It wasn't until late March when the full routine could be performed all-out, but even then positive COVID cases made it difficult for the entire team to be at practice.
"Knowing that nationals could be taken away from us at any moment, we had our doubts on whether or not we'd even make it," Serrano added. "To have been given this opportunity was amazing but to come home as national champions is unbelievable. The resilience that these athletes displayed throughout the season is remarkable."
The same way that Mark Nofri or Jessica Mannetti pour over hours of practice video, so does coach Serrano. The goal at nationals is to hit a "zero", or have no deduction, during the routine. After laying out the formations and transition while figuring out which athletes work well together, she goes back to the practice film to clean up any little mistake that could cause a deduction.
The time and effort put in by the team and coach Serrano obviously paid off the Pioneers should be in the mix for a three-peat as the majority of this year's team should be back in 2022.
