For six months, Wichita State’s cheer team has perfected a two-minute and 13-second routine — showing up to the Heskett Center four days a week at 5:45 a.m. to practice every tumble and shout.
The work paid off on Saturday when WSU won the National Cheerleaders Association Championship.
“20 individuals looking exactly the same at the exact same time takes a lot of time to put it together, but they did it,” said head cheer coach April Banwart. “They paid attention to all the details. They did everything we asked them to do, and came home with a title for it.”
Wichita State finished with a total score of 97.5, two points ahead of second-place VCU. The Shockers prevailed over 291 other Division I teams and finished fourth among all divisions that attended the competition in Daytona, Florida.
When the team’s van returned to Wichita, they were greeted by dozens of friends, family and fans who carried signs and hollered in support of their win.
“The people who love us make it all worth it,” said Elise Legrand, a sophomore and the cheer captain, to the crowd. “And especially in Daytona, we have so many parents and, like, fans and team members and everyone’s supporting us. And I think that, that is half the reason why we were so successful. So thank you so, so, so much.”
Wichita State’s dance team also competed in Daytona, placing 11th nationally.
Banwart said she chose a difficult routine jam-packed with “every skill that we can think of.” To win, the Shockers needed to execute that routine to perfection.
“You have to have that difficulty, and you have to have the execution of those skills,” Banwart said. “And they did it. They were nearly perfect … And it was incredible.”
Wichita State had the lead going into the final performance, but needed to execute the routine perfectly again to win.
“We were pretty confident, but it was nice getting that confirmation of hearing, you know, our names at the very end, and being able to know that we were going to get those jackets and that trophy and be able to bring it back to Wichita,” Banwart said.
LeGrand said she had envisioned competing at the national championship for years. To win “felt unreal.”
“We all started screaming our heads off, going crazy,” LeGrand said. “Like, that was our time to shine, and we really seized that moment.”
Banwart said the days after the win have been a “dream come true.” The team got to run into the ocean, as is tradition for NCA winners.
Banwart is already ready to run it back next year.
“We’re ready to put together an even better routine next year and bring it back again,” she said.
