Photo courtesy of Aubrey Cucullu

Cheerleaders Perform at Capital One Bowl

Nine St. Joseph’s Academy cheerleaders performed in the pregame show of the 2010 Capital One Bowl, held January 1 in Orlando, Florida. The game saw the 11th-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions hold off the 13th-ranked LSU Tigers 19-17.

“The team really bonded, and we had a lot of time to be with each other and just have fun as a squad.” Chandler Gautreau '12

The cheerleaders, who traveled to Orlando with co-coach Aubrey Cucullu, performed along with 400 high school cheerleaders from across the country. Cheerleaders were invited to participate as a result of strong performances at UCA camps held during the summer.

The squad members arrived in Orlando on December 29 and participated in three rehearsal sessions in advance of the pregame show.

In addition to the bowl game performance, the cheerleaders enjoyed visiting the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Epcot. They celebrated New Year’s Eve at Hollywood Studios and enjoyed the opportunity to meet members of the LSU football team.

“This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and the girls made us all so proud,” Cucullu said. “They worked hard in rehearsals, and it showed during the performance. Hanging out in the parks all night and waking up early for rehearsal was not easy, but the girls stayed positive and pulled off a wonderful performance.”

Performing at the bowl game were sophomores Sarah Stout, Sara Daniel, Chandler Gautreau and Clare DePaul and freshmen Alexandra Montes de Oca, Callie Zumo, Sydney Harelson, Mary Margaret Roeling and Lexie White.

“The trip was a lot of fun, and we were able to come closer together as a team,” Stout said. “We learned a lot about each other and our personalities that we diddn't know before the trip. There were days when the weather was freezing cold and wet, but we still managed to keep a smile on our faces and have fun.”

“The trip to Disney World was so much fun,” Gautreau said. “The team really bonded, and we had a lot of time to be with each other and just have fun as a squad. The bowl game was wet and freezing cold, but it was really awesome to be on the same field as the Golden Girls and the LSU band. I know they aren’t movie stars, but it made me feel important to be on the same field as them. LSU might not have played too well, but the trip as a whole was an experience I won’t forget.”


Mindy Brodhead Averitt
Communications Director