CHARLOTTE, NC - If you wondered where Johnson C. Smith University's cheerleading squad was during the Golden Bulls run to the Elite Eight in Bakersfield, California - well wonder no more!
The Luv-A-Bulls were busy making history of their own in Atlanta, Georgia as they became the first team in Smith's history to win a national championship. The young ladies competed in the 6th Annual Black College National Cheerleading and Dance Team Championships and were able to bring the grand prize trophy back to JCSU and the 'Queen's City'.
And as if that wasn't already enough, 5th year cheerleading coach, Ayanna McLendon, was selected as the 2001 Black Cheerleading "Coach of the Year."
Coach Ayanna McLendon, "As a coach, this really meant a lot to us as a team. It really showed our young ladies that hard work really does pay off. And on a personal note, I set a goal for our team that we would win a championship by at least our fifth year together…and we did it! We're very proud to bring the first national championship to JCSU, and I'm glad that the University saw enough in us to send us to the competition and we hope to continue to set the bar for our other historically black colleges and universities."
"It felt really good to bring the trophy back home to JCSU," said junior Luv-A-Bull Ebony Copeland. "People tend to look at cheerleading as fun and games, but they never get to see all of the long hours of preparation and hard work it takes to make us stand out from the rest."
The Luv-A-Bulls will now be setting their sights on competing in yet another national competition, the Annual National Cheerleading Association (NCA) Championship. This feat represents their second trip to the NCA Championships and makes them the only entry from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).
"The difference between the NABC and NCA competitions, is that the NCA will have more advanced squads," said McLendon. "There will be approximately 20 teams competing in the Division II All-Girl Team category and only the top five teams will advance from the preliminary round. And we have as good of a chance any to win it all. Words can't describe what this would mean for us to win."
The championship is the world's largest collegiate cheerleading competition and draws cheerleaders from all across the United States to Daytona Beach, Florida.
"It's going to be a learning experience," said Luv-A-Bull Shawanda Johnson. "We will be in an entirely different atmosphere, but we plan on treating this like any other competition. We plan on going into this competition with the goal of taking home the trophy as well as representing the HBCU's with our skill and poise."