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Maneline and Spirit Squad
both getting national attention
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Despite the Boise State football team getting exposure on nationally televised games this season, two other student-athlete programs got their own type of exposure. Right on the sideline, and on the field was both the Boise State Spirit Squad and the Harvey Neef Maneline Dancers. But, despite being a huge fan favorite on the field, and at basketball games and other events in and around Boise, the squads also got the opportunity to go to the Collegiate United Spirit National competition at the Cashman Center in Las Vegas, Nevada last weekend.
The cheerleaders took fourth in this year’s competition and the Maneline took sixth.
“Every team down there was really talented, so it was a good opportunity for us to go and compete against other school,” Maneline member Bridgette Budell said.
This is the 15th straight season that the Maneline has been nationally ranked, taking the national title four times. The first title was in 1993, and they won three straight from 1999-01.
“They go to a summer camp,” Stevens said. “Then they get a week off, then they came back for two-a-days, and then school started. And so they’ve been going pretty much non stop since then.”
And also unlike any other program, these student-athletes had to raise their own money, and always have, to go to the national competition. Each member needed to raise $625 to go to Las Vegas this year.
“They pay a lot of money out of their own pocket to do this,” Stevens said. She also noted the help they have received. “The athletic department has helped a lot this year getting us to some games and paying our way, they have really helped us.”
Both teams perform at numerous sporting events throughout the school year. Mainline is at about 90 percent of men’s home basketball games, and the cheerleaders are at just about each one, to go along volleyball games, Beauty and the Beast events, and numerous other events.
“These kids in both groups work really hard, they don’t always get as much credit as they should for how hard they work and how little they get back,” Stevens said.
And with the added exposure of the football team and their role in getting Boise State known across the nation, Stevens agrees that it puts more pressure on both of her teams to stay with the football team.
“We want all of the aspects of the university to be just as strong as the football [team]. And so when your team is nationally ranked, and you are getting a lot of exposure you definitely want your groups to be up there.”
Trevor Horn
Sports Editor
