OLLU Spirit Heads Into New Season of Competitions and Community Events
SAN ANTONIO (Sept. 18, 2023) – The Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) spirit programs are gearing up for another school year full of competitions, community events and more. The competitive dance and cheer teams return for their third season while drumline starts its second season.
2022-2023 recap
The spirit teams showcased their skill and techniques at multiple sporting and community events last season. The cheer squad competed for the first time at the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) College Nationals and finished in fifth place. Dance also competed nationally at the National Dance Association (NDA) College Nationals and took sixth place. Head Coach Crystal Brock also mentioned the drumline saying, "We are proud of the events they attended and how they have grown and look forward to the future."
Ring ceremony
The dance team won the Dance Team Union (DTU) Virtual Championships and were presented with rings during a ceremony this fall. Brock said, "The hard work and resilience of the team is being recognized not only by the coaches, but by the athletic administration and university." OLLU University Ministry held the ceremony at the chapel and parents and friends were present to support the athletes.
Staff
Brock returns for her fourth season to lead the spirit programs. Joe Gonzalez joined as the assistant coach in January after a year at the helm of the University of the Incarnate Word cheer team. Brock and Gonzalez coach all three programs, while Sean Flores manages drumline. Flores was recently hired as an assistant coach.
Returners and captains
Returners for the cheer team include captain Skylar Lloyd, Deann Ortega, Darian Saldana, Ember Sandoval and Rose Vasquez. The six members coming back for the dance program are Yasmine Escobar, Maya Jay, Angelina Ochoa, captain Madicela Perez, Bianca Rodriguez and co-captain Madison Smith. Jalen Bell, Ben Cavazos, Ginobili Cobarrubias and Sean Lin return for the drumline squad. Cobarrubias also joined the competitive cheer team for the upcoming season.
Newcomers
The competitive cheer team welcomes four new members this year. Daphne Flores-Gonzales, Adrianna Garcia, Brynlee Lloyd and Darian Saldana will compete with the Saints for the first time. Newcomers to the dance squad are Isis Almanza, Isabella Arroyo, Juliana Eigel, Jo Ann Mynar Melendez, Camryn Pena, Viviana Reyes and Iyana Robinson. The new faces for the drumline team are Kaylonnie Hernandez and Brandon Wehman.
Events
The spirit squads are looking forward to attending different sporting events in addition to their yearly competitions. They will be performing at the volleyball and soccer matches for the fall while appearing at baseball and softball games in the spring. Spirit will also participate at the basketball games starting in the winter.
NAIA Scholar-Team recognition
The competitive cheer and dance squads were recognized as NAIA Scholar Teams. For a team to be considered for the NAIA Scholar-Team award, it must have a minimum 3.0-grade point average as defined by the institution. OLLU boasted 15 teams that qualified, which is a tie for the most in school history.
Hear from Head Coach Crystal Brock as she discusses the 2023-2024 season