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Terps Win Inaugural NCSTA Meet At Kennesaw State
Feb. 6, 2010
KENNESAW, Ga. - The Maryland competitive cheer team claimed the title in the National Competitive Stunt and Tumbling Association's Inaugural meet at Kennesaw State University Friday evening. Competing in the Division I section, the Terps were up against teams from Quinnipiac, Oregon and Georgia. Quinnipiac and Oregon are two other schools that sponsor competitive cheer as a sport and whose coaches and administrators worked to form the NCSTA, along with Azusa Pacific, Baylor, Fairmont State, Fort Valley State, Maryland and the club team head coach at Ohio State. The group has been working on the NCSTA meet format for many months now and Friday night it all came together. "Tonight was incredible. To see what was once a vision for the sport one year ago actually happen means so much more than I can express," head coach Jarnell Bonds said. "Tonight, our Maryland athletes made history for the advancement of competitive cheer most importantly, and second, they won a meet against extremely worthy opponents." "A successful meet at Kennesaw not only proved the talent on our team but also our strength. After weeks of working hard we went into the meet optimistic and focusing on team unity throughout the events," senior co-captain Joanna Venezia said. "Event after event we proved to show our strengths in partner stunts, tumbling, pyramids and baskets." Maryland earned a score of 243.66 out of a possible 266 to take first place in Division I. Oregon (234.44) placed second, Quinnipiac (213.93) took third and Georgia (177.35) was fourth. The Terps won four of the five rounds to claim the crown. The event began with teams competing in the partner stunt round. Each of the Terps' four stunt groups earned scores of 9.00 and an overall score of 37.21. Maryland won the next event as well, the basket tosses, with an overall team score of 38.94. Oregon was second in the event with a score of 37.81. The Terps finished second in the pyramid section with a 36.83 to Oregon's 37.68.
After a short halftime break, all teams took to the floor again for the tumbling round. The Terrapins took the tumbling event with a total score of 34.68. Junior Melissa Buck contributed with a double full basket toss and an individual tumbling pass, both of which were executed flawlessly. Other highlights included freshman Danielle Jenkins's stunt group performance and a duo tumbling pass performed in perfect synchronization by senior co-captain Lauren Louis and sophomore Lauren Shannon. In the final event of the evening, the traditional team routine worth 60 percent of the teams' final scores, Maryland sealed the win with a score of 96.00. The Terps' high score in the event was especially rewarding after overcoming an obstacle familiar in sports - dealing with a last-minute injury. The Terrapins were forced to stop mid-routine due to an ankle injury to senior Amanda Soven, but were able to come out and perform to hold on to the win. "Soven demanded to go back on the floor. Her love for her teammates must have driven the pain away," Bonds said. "She went out there and won for the name on the front of her jersey instead of sitting out for the name on her back." In Division II, Fairmont State won with 229.15 points and Fort Valley State was second with 163.59. Fairmont State claimed the title in each of the five rounds. The Terrapins, who were last year's Cheersport champions, will stay in Georgia for the weekend to compete in the Cheersport nationals in Atlanta Saturday and Sunday. They are scheduled to compete in the College All Girl Level 6 division, along with teams from Oregon, Brock, McMaster, Ohio State, Louisville, Quinnipiac, N.C. State, East Carolina, Fairmont State, Georgia and Michigan State. The Terps are scheduled to compete Saturday morning at 10:13 a.m. |
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