NEWPORT NEWS— Ahead of the teams’ appearances at NCA and NDA College Nationals, the Christopher Newport University community came to send off the dance and cheer teams to the Daytona Beach competition this past weekend with a special showcase performance.
The pre-nationals showcase is the first opportunity that the teams have to show their competition routines to family and friends. The performances also helped to honor both teams’ senior classes ahead of their final performance on home turf.
Erica Flanigan, CNU Cheerleading head coach, Emily Davenport, CNU Cheerleading assistant coach, and Taylor Macina, CNU Storm head coach presided over the showcase as emcees.
“This routine has challenged all of our girls physically, mentally, and emotionally. It has pushed them to believe in themselves and helped them realize that they can do anything and everything that they want. We have fought through back injuries, muscle tears, surgeries, sicknesses, concussions, and made it out on the other side,” Davenport said of the cheer team.
To kick things off at the showcase, the CNU cheerleading team performed first. The team will head to NCA College Nationals as the reigning champions in the Intermediate All-Girls Division III category.
The CNU Storm — the university dance team — also performed at the showcase, but requested photos not be shared so as not to leak the team’s uniforms and routine ahead of the competition.
“Throughout the past year, we have performed various routines in pom, jazz, and hip-hop. This routine incorporates all of those elements. We choose to compete in this category because by winning this category, they will be champions of all dance genres,” Macina said of the CNU Storm.
Both teams will compete in Daytona Beach later this week. Visit the team’s on Instagram to learn more about the CNU Storm and CNU Cheerleading.