TAMPA, Fla. — The formula for the University of South Florida Bulls' cheerleading success is pretty simple.
"Grit, Growth, will equal that Glory," third-year cheerleader Ansley Topchik explained.
Last weekend, Topchik and her teammates won their third consecutive coed cheerleading national championship in Orlando. The University of Kentucky is the only other school in NCAA history to
pull off a three-peat.
"It’s truly amazing. I think it’s just shown that our coaches and this team has really just established the dynasty," Topchik added. "Become that team that can create this legacy and buy into the process. Being here for all those three national titles has just been amazing. To see the program grow and develop. It’s just a dream come true."
The USF program returned to competition in 2016 after taking a 13-year hiatus from national competition. The program was rebooted under current head coach Gillian Guadagnino. The Bulls quickly became contenders, and they never looked back.
"These kids have worked so, so hard over these last seven years to really build a dynasty, truly," Guadagnino said. "It’s just such a cool thing to have all of our alumni in support of this and then have these kids buy in."
USF's roster is a mix of experienced and first-year athletes. Ramsey Robinson is a junior who played basketball in high school and never was a cheerleader before he got to USF. But he didn't let his lack of experience scare him away from joining a powerhouse program.
"Maybe I don’t have the most experience, or maybe I’m a little bit nervous about these skills," Robinson said when describing his early approach. "Faith is what carried me past that fear and brought us these national championships."
The key to the Bulls' preparation is paying attention to detail...every detail.
"We know exactly what to do to prepare. It even goes down to little things like how we walk, how we hold our chest," junior Erica Scarborough said. "[Coach Gaudagnino] prepares us for every single scenario that’s going to happen."
Gaudagnino joked that winning never gets old, but she doesn't take any of the three championship rings for granted.
"We are extremely humbled, and we feel privileged and honored to be around such amazing people."
