CUI Stunt is getting into the thick of their season and currently sits at 8-5. With a few regular-season games left, the ladies are looking to finish strong and make a run in the NCAA tournament.

“This season, the team has trained harder than ever, focusing on stamina, strength and skill-building,” said senior base Michelle Lourenco. 

The stunt team usually finishes with a record around 0.500, but this year they’ll be looking to finish strong and turn in one of their best seasons yet.

“I’d say our main goal this year as a team is to be a better version of ourselves; we want to play like the team we are scared to go against,” said sophomore tumbler Chrislyn Greene. “Yes we love to win, but the win only counts if we play like the strongest version of ourselves.”

The management of the team has also been revamped with Lourenco crediting their “new coaching staff that has emphasized these focuses and has pushed the team to get new skills and continuously improve, even in the midst of our competitive season.”

The ladies are currently on a two-game slip, but are determined to get back on track before the NCAA tournament. 

“We have been practicing harder than ever,” said Lourenco. “It is a very intense environment as we perfect routines and continue to skill-build, but we are all working toward the same goal: to be our very best.”

Stunt is a sport that often doesn’t get a lot of credit for how physically grueling it is, as it requires athletes to be in peak shape.

“For practices, we have been working like no other. Running every week, conditioning and repping our routines and skills over and over again, even when we feel like we can’t do it anymore,” said Greene. “So when it is actual game day, it’ll be a breeze. The harder we work at practice, the easier a game will be.”

This hard work has not stopped the ladies from having a great time in the midst of their successful season. 

“My favorite part of this season has been getting better every game we play,” said Greene. “We have ups and downs at practice, but we don’t let that portray on the floor during game day. We are more connected as a team this year, and I feel as though we are going through this season together.”

These growing connections, unfortunately, come with a few bittersweet departures every year, as the team currently has six seniors who have given so much to this program and will be graduating after this season. 

Lourenco reflects on her time in stunt. “I feel blessed to have had this opportunity to continue in this sport as long as I have and to see it emerge and grow into what it has become today. I know this sport will continue to grow and offer opportunities to many more people in the future, and I am very grateful to have been part of this history in the making. As the season comes to an end, I am planning to make the most of it and savor every moment I have left. I am thankful to all the girls I have met and the memories I have made with CUI Stunt.”

However, it is not quite time for the ladies to say goodbye yet, as they set their eyes on the national tournament. According to Lourenco, the tournament will be “the first of its kind” because “we have never had enough West Coast DII teams to hold such a tournament, so it is exciting to see what this looks like.” 

“We have been working on these routines for months now, and it is truly a matter of trusting ourselves and our teammates to do our best,” said Lourenco. “Over the next week, we will keep repping out our routines and building our confidence to best prepare for this tournament.”

The NCAA tournament will begin on April 2 and run for multiple days in succession.

Don’t forget to wish our stunt team luck and stay up to date with them @cui_stunt on instagram. Make sure to attend senior night and support these ladies on March 31 at home against Vanguard University.

 

Tags: Stunt

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