Working for recognition

Nicholas Valenzuela Arizona Daily Wildcat Last weekend the UA pom line gained national recognition at the United Spirit Association National dance competition in Las Vegas, Nev. Ten of the 18 current UA pom members placed fourth in their first ever competition.

They're on the court for every basketball game and on the sidelines every football game. They work out, practice, and perform through injury.

But they are not athletes, according to UA officials.

They are the members of the UA pom line.

And over the past weekend, they broke away from the confines of the sidelines to gain national recognition at the United Spirit Association National Dance Competition in Las Vegas, Nev.

"It was kind of tough," junior pom co-captain Alicia Peterson said of the competition, "because we don't get the recognition or funds other athletics get here.

"And members of the pom lines from the other schools we faced do receive money for tuition, books, uniform and traveling."

Ten of the 18 current UA pom line members joined together for their first-ever competition, placing fourth behind Boise State, Nevada-Reno and Cal-State Fullerton, respectively. Also in the competition was Northern Arizona, which placed fifth, and fellow Pacific 10 Conference member Oregon.

"We've always had so much potential, just not enough time to put anything together," junior "pomie" Alison Zeper said. "But this year we just set our minds to it, and put a routine together and did what we knew we could do."

Displaying their talent in this competition was a big first step for the pom line.

"Every other school in the competition came so prepared with their moves and all," Zeper said. "But what was so good about us is that we did it for ourselves. We're a very close-knit group and we just wanted to go out there and perform for ourselves."

Zeper, along with junior competition choreographer Karyn Brom, also added that it was nice to prove to the UA they are worthy of support.

"I just wish we could (get) support from the athletics association," Brom said. "We're supporting the two most profitable sports, and we don't see any results from that effort."

The pom line is an auxiliary of the Pride of Arizona Marching Band, and is not funded in any way under the intercollegiate athletics program, as the cheer and mascot squads are. The School of Music has jurisdiction over the pom line. And the "pomies" are responsible for their own funding as far as uniforms - including shoes and bags - plus academic-related issues and travel expenses. The cheer and mascot squads also participate in their own fund-raising, but do receive help from the athletic program.

"This was a big deal for us," Peterson said. "Because we were self-coached, choreographed and motivated."

Senior competition choreographer Nicole Strauss agreed with Peterson on the positive aspects the meet had for them.

"This trip was so rewarding and because we did everything ourselves, we really appreciated our performance. It was the greatest time ever," she said.

Peterson said the pom line hopes to carry the accomplishments that earned them the spotlight for the weekend over to their UA performance time.

"Everything just went really well," Peterson said. "And I hope we can continue on with the good work now that we've established a name for ourselves."

And although the pom line doesn't always gain the adequate respect for the time and energy the members put into their activity, on a whole they remain happy in spirit and status.

"I'd like more benefits," Strauss said. "But we do get to perform at the halftimes of our basketball games, and no one (else) gets to do that."