Sun Devil Spirit Squad Preps for College Nationals in April

TEMPE -- You see them at every football and basketball game. They're on the sidelines cheering on the team and hyping up the crowd. They perform during breaks in the games. The Sun Devil Spirit Squad practices and performs year-round, with no off-season. When they aren't performing on the sidelines, they are working on their dance choreography and performing on stage at competitions. 

"Everyone has worked so hard to get the program to where it is today….It is not always easy, and we sacrifice a lot. Much of the hard work we do most people don't see, but we don't do this for recognition; we do this for ourselves and for each other," says junior dancer Avery Douglas.

In February, the Spirit Squad traveled to Orlando to participate in the Dance Team Union's High School Nationals. This is a national competition that hosts dance teams from high schools all around the country. They were invited to the event to work backstage distributing awards, teach a Jazz master class, and connect with high school dance recruits.

"Going to the High School Nationals was an amazing and uplifting experience. Not only did we get to inspire all the younger high school students, but we were inspired ourselves," says senior dancer Ally Nash. "When we first arrived, we taught a master class, and it was really amazing seeing all the talented dancers who came out to take our class."

The Sun Devil Spirit Squad is the most award-winning dance program in the Pac-12, and it has always been a top-4 ranked team throughout competitions. The squad is heading back down to Orlando to compete in the College Nationals from April 12-14. They are looking to have a three-peat in the D1A Jazz competition and to remain champions of the Pom Battle. 

"I am so proud to be a part of this program," said Douglas. "Our season is long, and it requires a lot of hard work and dedication. We put in long hours and push our bodies to the limit so that we can put our best foot forward and represent ourselves and our program in the best way possible."

The Spirit Squad is hosting a send-off performance before they go compete in the College Nationals. The performance will be held at Desert Financial Arena on April 9th at 7 pm PDT/AZT. The team will be performing their pom, jazz, and game-day routines that they show off at the competition, along with other routines. Their jazz routine is a crowd-favorite and a two-time first-place performance.