University of Tennessee Athletics
Cheer Duo Claims Ninth Place
January 15, 2005
Jan. 15, 2005
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| Matt Elliott and Tiffany Ryan |
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Orlando, Fla. - The day began under gray, wet and windy skies, but with a typical orange Florida glow came to an end, all be it with a hint of Tennessee orange thrown in. The 2005 Universal Cheerleading National Championships got under way at Walt Disney World's Wide World of Sports Complex, as some 20 collegiate couples from throughout the country competed for the right to be named the nation's best.
For Tennessee it has been almost a decade since the orange and white have been represented in the competition, and this year's participants got the weekend off to a great start. Junior's Matt Elliot and Tiffany Ryan vaulted from their preliminary 17th place position to finish tied for ninth in the country. Tennessee was the only Division IA school to place in the top 10.
Elliot, a native of Soddy-Daisy, is a three-year member of the Volunteers cheer squad and along with Ryan, a native Floridian, also will take part in the team competition beginning Saturday night.
Before a crowd of several thousand and ESPN taping the show for a later release, Elliot and Ryan showed off their strength, grit and effort to move in among the nation's elite. Elliott, a third-year member as a Vol cheerleader, is a former all-state wrestler at Soddy-Daisy, while his partner Ryan (Winter Park, Fla.) is a first-year member at Tennessee, after spending her first two years at Wallace State Community College.
Ryan thought this was a good start for the weekend packed with events for the Big Orange.
"It was our goal coming in to finish in the top 10, and it is an experience you can remember for the rest of your life," said Ryan. "We have achieved one of our goals and we still have another one to go, and it shows us that we are capable of doing it."
The Tennessee spirit squad led by head coach Joy Postell was ecstatic about the duos performance.
"First, I just want to say how excited I am about how they finished," said Postell. "In partner stunt every division can compete on the same level. It makes me real proud that we were the only Division 1A school to finish in the top 10.
"Secondly, we were 17th coming into the competition and for them to finish ninth when we are focusing on the team competition really put Tiffany and Matt at a disadvantage, because their focus has been on team competition then on individual partner stunting. Whereas the other participants were more focused on the individual competition because they don't have teams represented here. I think for them to finish ninth is grand and gives us a good start for the weekend."
Elliott and Ryan are part of a 33-member squad who spent countless hours since the selection of the team last spring, and the members have made the most of their opportunity. Saturday night will be just the second step on the road for a national championship, which has been dominated by the Kentucky Wildcats; but surprises are not out of the question here as the University of Central Florida proved two years ago when they upended the Cats. Elliott was pleased with their performance, but knows that other things are ahead for those wearing the orange and white as Tennessee will get their shot Saturday evening to add their name to national champs.
"I was feeling pretty good about tonight and I thought we did well. We having been working with the team and then doing this on our own has been really hard," said Elliott. "But tonight we were just two people doing what they love to do and representing the University of Tennessee."
Before the semi-finals for the cheer squad Knoxville native Josh Lay as Smokey goes for a national championship, which would be Tennessee's third in five years. As the day came to a close the night sky gave way to a half moon, also with an orange tint.
