The NWN got to sit down with three captains of the poms team: seniors Emily Topp and Chrissy Bucior, and juniors Olivia Schmidt. They’ve competed in the UDA National Championships for three years straight, and hope to make it to finals as they did in 2012.
NWN: What are you most excited for about Disney?
Topp: I’m most excited to compete at nationals and be on the stage. The national competition is the climax of our season and is something I have been looking forward to since I’ve been on poms.
Schmidt: It’s always been a dream to qualify and go to Disney with my pommies and I can’t believe it’s almost here.
Bucior: I’m most excited to take that first step on the dance floor with my team and hear and see the crowd cheering. It’s an overwhelmingly amazing feeling.
NWN: What expectations do you hold for you and your team?
Topp: Do you mean for Disney or in general?In general, I expect that we all give 100% of our effort and commitment to achieving the goals we set earlier this year by working our hardest in every practice. For nationals, I expect that everyone gives it their all on the competition floor so we can leave with no regrets!
Schmidt: Our team has been receiving increasing scores at each competition, so I’m confident that we’ll have a chance at making finals.
Bucior: I definitely expect everyone, myself especially, to go out on stage and give it absolutely everything you have. Knowing you did all you could to give an amazing performance always pays off, with or without a trophy.
NWN: What are you most proud of this year?
Topp: I’m proud of the success we’ve had at competitions this year and the effort and drive every girl on the team has to succeed. Everyone has worked really hard this season.
Schmidt: No Matter what the outcome is, I’ll be proud of our team because I know we’ve put in a consistent effort. I think our army theme and unique choreography will set us apart and help us stand out to the judges.
Bucior: I‘m proud of all the hard work we’ve put into every single dance this year. We’ve been so successful with our performances and competitions and i’m so proud of everyone.
NWN: Being a captain how do you motivate your team to work harder?
Topp: I try to be a good role model at practices by working hard and staying focused. Before the last competition, I tried to motivate some of the girls because the competition was not so high stakes, by bringing up our goal for nationals and telling them about the satin jackets that the National Champions win each year. Now some of us chant “do it for the satin jackets!”
Bucior: Being a captain is definitely one of the best positions I could ever hold and it’s amazing to work with such wonderful friends that are more like family. I try to motivate everyone by working as hard as I possibly can and always stay focused and on topic. I always like to tell the girls to do it for mickey mouse to get the girls excited to perform at such a huge event that we have definitely earned a spot to be at.
