Arizona State University's cheerleading team will be competing Sunday for a United Spirit Association national championship.
They have been working on their routine, choreographed by coach Vanessa Napoleon, since the end of January but have had many drastic changes over the past few days.
The team lost a vital member last week and held an emergency practice in which they reworked the routine only six days before competition.
"There's always going to be injuries," said Napoleon. "There are injuries now. But hopefully with the right technique...it'll pull through."
Napoleon has been coaching ASU for three years and has aided the team in acquiring national recognition.
In her first year coaching, ASU won seventh place at the Universal Cheerleaders Association's national championships.
"Vanessa has had an extremely positive effect on us," said JV captain Danielle Aufmann. "Before her, we weren't placing anywhere near the top ten."
Napoleon came from a strong background. She cheered at the University of Hawaii for five years during which the team took a third at nationals. She took a second nationally in partner stunting in 2000. She is also a nine-year veteran staff for the United Cheer Association, seven of which have been spent on college staff.
"She always comes with a goal in mind and that's what keeps the team going because everyday we come in and try to obtain the goal that she sets for us and the goals that we set for ourselves," said Varsity captain Dave Rowland of Napoleon.
The main goals that Napoleon strives to achieve are respect and recognition.
"There are two ways you can gain respect," she said. "To gain respect from your peers, that's huge. To go out there and be noticed; like that's Arizona State. That's Hawaii. That's Kentucky. And also to have the respect of your crowd."
Unlike the past two years, ASU will not be competing in UCA's national competition, due to a low budget. They did not receive a bid to pay their way to nationals and therefore had to turn to the United Spirit Association's competition, which is held in Las Vegas, and is cheaper and closer.
In fact, next year ASU will be cutting their JV squad due to the low budget. It will be easier to send the team to competition and to offer more incentives to team members, said Napoleon.
Rowland said that cutting the JV squad would have a positive effect.
He said that it will only "make the program better because it will be harder to make [the team]."
Reach the reporter at slevee@imap1.asu.edu.
