Page 12
Friday, April 9, 2004
JhePS&t
Sports
Cheerleaders make presence at Nationals
John Olson
Pilot Sports Editor
Gardner-Webb’s cheer
leaders are looking to the
2004-2005 season with
anticipation as this year’s
competitive season came to
a close on April 4 at the
NCA and NDA National
. Championships in Daytona,
Fla. The championships
started on March 31.
The GWU team placed
nineteenth in the small coed
classification of the compe
tition. The University of
Houston finished first in the
small coed division.
“This year was a learn
ing experience,” said Team
Co-Captain Collette
DuPree.
Team captains Chena
Camp and DuPree led the
18-active member squad
into the competition. “It was
a learning experience (this
year),” said DuPree.
GWU’s cheerleading
squad consists of 20 mem
bers. “We came together and
did the best we could,” said
Crystal Burwell. “I don’t
think we had anything to be
ashamed about.”
Over 200 squads were at
the 2004 competition. The
cheerleaders placed second
in the preliminaries at the
2003 competition.
The trip to nationals for
the Bulldog was not easy as
the team raised the funds to
go to the competition along
with receiving funds fi'om
GWU. The team was also
required to send a perfor
mance video to event orga
nizers by Jan. 13 to see if the
team was ready for the com
petition.
GWU suffered a tragedy
a day before leaving for
Daytona as Kelly Bodman
suffered a knee injury, caus
ing the squad to redo their
routine. “In cheerleading
that hurts because you have
to redo the entire routine,”
said DuPree.
In preparation for the
competitive season the
cheerleading squad prac
tices competitive cheering
three hours a day, five to six
days a week. Along with the
competitive practices the
team lifts weight and runs
for conditioning purposes.
Other competitions that
took place were a mascot
national championships, a
group stunt competition and
a partner stunt competition.
GWU’s competitors in
the small co-ed division
included Florida Atlantic,
UNCA, UNCC, Virginia
Tech, Florida International
and Coastal Carolina.
Kelly Sterner is the
cheerleading coach at
GWU. Sterner joined the
GWU staff in the summer of
2003. Sterner works at
Greenville Gymnastics in
South Carolina.
“She knows what to
expect from us next season,”
said Carrie Johnson.
Following a one Jiveek
break the cheerleading
squad is hosting tryouts
from April 16-18 in the
Photo Courtesy of GWU Cheerleaders
Gardner-Webb cheerleaders compete at the NCA champi
onships in Daytona, Fla., March 31- April 4.
Lutz-Yelton Convocation outs,” said DuPree. “We are
Center. “We have a lot of hoping to get a lot of well-
recruits coming in for try- rounded cheerleaders.
Assistant basketball coach accepts job at Lander
Sean Hubbard
Pilot Staff
After a four-year tenure
at Gardner-Webb University,
Assistant Men’s Basketball
Coach Bruce Evans has left
for a head coaching position
at Lander University. Evans,
a first time head coach,
shows little hesitation in tak
ing on the role.
“I’m really excited,”
said Evans. “It is a great
opportunity for me to have
my hands on every aspect of
the game.”
While Evans stressed his
appreciation for GWU and
Head Coach Rick Scruggs,
he is excited about having a
little more pull in the deci
sion-making.
“Everyone has someone
Evans
above them, but now I make
the final decisions,” said
Evans.
As head coach at Lander
Evans will be able to pick
and choose which players he
wants to sign. If he had
already seen an athlete play,
he is now in the position
where he doesn’t have to
send an assistant to take a
look at him, he can make the
call by himself
Making the move to
Lander is a bit of a home
coming for both Evans and
his wife as he will be only
thirty or forty minutes fi'om
his hometown, while his
wife is moving closer to
home is well.
“This is a great opportu
nity for my family and I,”
said Evans.
The Bulldogs are begin
ning to take applications
now for a replacement for
Evans, however Evans’ time
here was greatly appreciated
by Scruggs.
“He was a good friend
and a great coach,” said
He was a good
friend and a great
coach, He was good
to the program, and
it is a great tribute
to our program that
he was able to move
up.
- Rick Scruggs
Scruggs. “He was good
to the program, and it is a
great tribute to our program
that he was able to move up.”
After being under Scruggs
for his years at GWU, Evans
feels ready to make the step
up to head coach.
“(Scruggs) did an excel
lent job of preparing me for
this,” said Evans. “He gave
me more responsibilities
than ever. I am very grateful
for my four years at GWU,
Rick Scruggs and the play
ers that have come through
there. Without my success
ful time at GWU, I probably
wouldn’t even have gotten a
look anywhere else.”
Watching Evans and
coaching with him over the
years, Scruggs is confident
in his abilities in being a
head coach.
“He was loyal and
helped us to a new level,”
said Scruggs. “He was more
than ready to step into a
head coaching position.”
Scruggs hopes to have a
replacement by June 1.