“For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf…and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”

In 2001, North Carolina State University earned an NCA National Championship title. Since, the program has continued to bring passion, energy and skill to the Daytona Beach stage. Competing in an exceptionally talented division, the Wolf Pack knew they had a challenging road ahead of them for 2016. With faith in themselves, one another and their coaching staff, they defeated all odds and achieved the dream.

15 years later, their commitment to excellence paid off in a BIG way.



Harold Trammel, North Carolina State Head Cheerleading Coach, gives us an inside look at the team’s journey and just what it took to claim the university’s fifth NCA Collegiate title:

Describe your most interesting Daytona tradition. 
“Cheer Lent” starts 30 days before competition. During this time, every team member gives up at least 1 thing that is important to them, to show the sacrifice that they’re willing to make. Once they compete at Finals, they get to have whatever they’ve sworn off. Another special tradition is led by the Seniors. Each of them makes a collage of pictures and write a note to every team member.
 
What is the most memorable part of this year’s routine?
That's really hard to say. This year we’re very proud of what we call the “stunt block,” which is basically 2 elite stunts back-to-back. Also, we’re proud of our boys. This is the first time all 4 of them have had a standing full, an elite standing pass and a specialty running pass!

What part of the routine took the most time, work and commitment?
The pyramid and the stunt block – we started working the stunts that created the stunt block over the summer and the pyramid elements during football season. The pyramid was the last thing in the routine to become consistent.

Outside of practice, how do your athletes bond?
The team really prides itself in being a family. Many of the athletes live together. They choose to spend a lot of time on their own, working on stunts and tumbling outside our scheduled practice times. This is a tradition at State and has elevated our talent level, allowing us to have a 4th place Coed Partner Stunt at NCA College Nationals and a National Champion All-Girl Stunt at UCA College Nationals. Additionally, we’ve had 5 athletes make Team USA.  

You competed in DIA Small Coed. What makes this division unlike the others? 
The quality of the teams is the same as in All-Girl and Large Coed, but the number of teams competing in Small Coed Div. IA is greater. At times, our team feels like it’s coed, but with so many girls we are able to take advantage of the strength and depth of our female bases. It's a great division for us. 



What makes this team deserving of the 2016 title?
This year, we blended our traditional Small Coed and Large Coed teams to make what we called a “Super Team.” This instantly increased the talent level, but many of the Large Coed athletes didn’t have much group stunting experience. The process entirely changed the dynamics, as two former sets of leaders and athletes were merged together. 

From the way we cheered at games to the way each coach shared the responsibility of coaching both teams – everything was different. Fortunately, the program embraced the change. And, one thing that was constant was the ultimate goal – win a national championship. 

The kids worked through the differences and coaches searched for the right buttons to push and levers to pull to steer the team and get the most out of each person. In the end, trust was key – trust in yourself, trust in your teammates and trust in the coaching staff. When everyone realized this, an amazing thing happened and 20 people worked as one unit. 

They conquered the Bandshell with confidence and performed like champions. They peaked at the right time. After a nervous, but solid performance in prelims, we had a long meeting and dialed the team in. The major things were there. We told each person that they needed to pick themselves and force the judges to agree. They sealed the deal, the way former head coach (and 3-time National Champion), Cathy Buckey, had showed us. It was magical. 



What does the title “NCA National Champion” mean to your program?
Being an NCA National Champion is so special. Our athletes and coaches have been working hard for many years to earn the title again. It’s amazing that our time has finally come. We’ve had many great teams and this team now lives among the best that have come through our program, as they’re responsible for bringing home our 5th NCA National title. 

Congratulations to the 2016 NCA National Collegiate champions in the Small Coed IA division – North Carolina State University! They are led by Head Coach, Harold Trammel; Assistant Coaches Chris Gregory, Meredith Schooley, Annette Trammel, Daniel Wilkins and Jason Ybarra; Mascot Coach Kristen Bolinger; and senior captains Nigeste Carter, Brandon Parker and Allison Shores. 

To view final results and behind-the-scenes photos, visit varsity.com/Daytona. For additional coverage, follow us on Twitter – @NCAupdates, Instagram – NCAcheer and Facebook – National Cheerleaders Association.