Big smiles, rustling pom–poms and smooth moves brighten the baselines of Winthrop Coliseum during basketball season. The Winthrop Spirit Squad brings a lot of energy and works to engage fans and encourage the teams on the court.
This well-rounded group brings years of cheer and dance experience to enhance the game day environment. This year’s final auditions were held on Aug. 27, with fourteen bright individuals completing the roster.
According to the athletics website, these members must attend mandatory practices each week, all men’s and women’s basketball games and any other specified campus or community activities.
The squad is led by head coach Kelsey Bunzey. Bunzey has worked as a dancer for both the Arena Football League and National Basketball Association. With a dazzling résumé, she is able to provide knowledgeable guidance to her squad.
Bunzey’s guidance is accompanied by two senior leaders.
Ashley Lumpkin, a three-year veteran, is anticipating a thrilling season for the squad. As one of the team’s senior leaders, her background with the program is encouraging her to be a voice to the team.
“As a senior member I am looking to pass down my three years of Spirit Squad experience to the younger members so they will have the knowledge to build our program,” Lumpkin said.
Lumpkin notes pre-performance as the most exciting part about the Spirit Squad.
“The best part about being a member of the Spirit Squad is getting ready for the excitement of game day with my teammates,” Lumpkin said.
While there is a lot of hard work that comes with being a team member, Lumpkin notes the relationships amongst members are also key.
“Team chemistry is everything with the Spirit Squad,” Lumpkin said. “We spend so much time
together, learning a lot of dances — we all have to work as a team. At the end of the
day we are family who help and encourage each other.”
Apart from leadership, Lumpkin is excited about new routines that the Spirit Squad will dazzle the hardwood with in the coming weeks.
“The Spirit Squad has some exciting new routines that the crowd is going to love,” Lumpkin said. “Over the summer we had the opportunity to learn routines alongside NBA and NFL cheerleaders and we plan to bring it on game days.”
Brialyn Cakley is a second-year veteran. As one of the sophomore members of the squad, Cakley has already had a number of great experiences on the team.
“The best part about being a member is being able to meet such wonderful and talented people and having the chance to perform with them in front of our school,” Cakley said. “I really do love that I get to do this with them.”
Cakley, along with Lumpkin, commented on how unity is vital amongst the team.
“I think that the fact that we have such great chemistry contributes so much to our success,” Cakley said. “We’re in this together and we all provide support to each other when it’s needed.”
Furthermore, Cakley notes that along with the fun comes a lot of dedication to the squad.
“It’s a lot of hard work and time commitment,” Cakley said. “It’s definitely something you have to be willing to put your best effort into it because it can be challenging at times, but it’s always worth it.”
Cakley also notes the team’s summer camp experiences as a great opportunity to learn some new skills to bring to Winthrop Coliseum.
“One thing I always look forward to is the start of basketball season,” Cakley said. “The energy of the crowd during the games is something that I love to witness from the sidelines because it is nice to see students enjoying something together.”
The Spirit Squad will get to showcase all of their off-season hard work beginning next week during women’s basketball first home match-ups.
Photo: Tate Walden/ The Johnsonian
