If it were not for the NC State cheerleading team, Wolfpack nation might have given up on the NC State football team.
The Wolfpack got off to a slow start against Marshall on Saturday. But the Pack went on to defeat the Thundering Herd, 37-20, thanks to a bounce-back performance in the second half. Head coach Dave Doeren and his staff obviously made some adjustments at halftime, and Pack fans continued to cheer, thanks to a cheerleading team that wouldn’t give up.
The team spirit on the sidelines is unwavering every year. Though cheerleading season is year round, the real work begins in the summer when classes are out of session. Wolfpack cheerleading established an accountability system to ensure that each member of the squad is practicing their stunts to remain prepared for football season.
“[The seniors] are keeping tabs on who is working out, who is staying committed,” senior Vanessa Etienne said. “Just to make sure that people are staying active and in shape.”
The captains, Etienne, senior Gianna Rizzi and junior Sam Pierlott and fellow members sent challenges and skills to sharpen the team every few weeks. In return, the team sent videos of themselves completing the skill.
“We have a lot of fresh new minds and bodies to come in and work hard,” Pierlott said. “We’ve got great attitudes on the team this year, and we expect to do well.”
While NC State fans see the cheerleading team on the sidelines in Carter-Finley stadium and on the court in PNC Arena, the season consists of more than just football and basketball.
In 2016, the Pack won the Small Coed Cheer Division IA national championship at NCA College Nationals. For NC State it was the fifth team national championship in program history and the first since 2001. Head coach Harold Trammel’s Wolfpack went back to nationals in the 2016-17 season and secured a third place finish as well.
“On day one [in 2016] we were in second place, and we were upset,” Pierlott said. “…On day two, we said, ‘hey, we have to hit, we have to perform and tell the judges that they have to pick us.’”
With eyes on another national championship in April, each practice serves as a major step to the ultimate goal. Establishing team chemistry with newcomers and hitting every stunt is paramount, especially since the Pack welcomed over 20 rookies to the 2017-18 squad.
“We come in three times over the summer,” Rizzi said. “So we come in for three days of practice and have two practices a day…I go to my old cheerleading gym and that’s what most people do. You have to work it out yourself and know what you’re normally capable of and make sure you keep your tumbling up.”
Practice makes perfect, especially for Pack cheer. With limited available time during the offseason, it’s hard to imagine how NC State lands every stunt on in front of Pack fans. Getting back to a first place finish at nationals is the glamorous title, but the Wolfpack prides itself on its performance at sporting events. While practice on the mats might seem more beneficial, game day provides a platform to showcase the team’s skills.
“In football we’re allowed to [perform] all of our skills with no restrictions,” Etienne said. “…so a lot of times we start learning stuff in practice and then at game time, that’s our way to start doing our skills in front of people, and make sure that we are able to execute them in front of a crowd. We don’t get that opportunity to perform before our competition in April.”
The Wolfpack cheerleading team isn’t just supporting NC State fellow varsity sports on game day, the Pack is sharpening its skills for the main event. The least talked-about sport at NC State will shoot for a fourth-straight top-three finish at NCAs and a second national championship in just three years in April.
