THREE CHEERS!
Mount St. Charles graduate Chris Miele part of historic NCAA cheerleading three-peat at Kentucky
Chris Miele was operating under a time crunch. His senior season of competitive cheerleading at the University of Kentucky was fast approaching. He also wasn’t far removed from undergoing surgery to repair a spinal cord fracture that per doctor’s orders prohibited him from any sort of activities for a period of seven months.
The NCAA doesn’t grant medical red-shirt waivers to cheerleaders, but no way was Miele going to miss out on the chance to be a part of the Wildcats’ quest at a historic three-peat. A 2014 graduate of Mount St. Charles, Miele attacked the rehab with fierce determination. It was a grueling campaign designed specifically to prevent a relapse and enable the 22-year-old to get back into the swing of things.
“There wasn’t a lot of time to let my body rest and heal, but my trainers and physical therapists did an outstanding job. They continuously encouraged me,” said Miele when reached by phone recently. “It would have been impossible without their help.”
From integrating core exercises to resuming a familiar life of stunts and tumbles, Miele saw his determination rewarded on January 14 when the UK cheerleaders captured the program’s 23rd national title and third straight at the Universal Cheerleaders Association competition in Orlando, Fla. The Wildcats claimed the crown with an impressive score of 97.3 out of a possible 100 points.
“It was a very frustrating process, but at the end of the day, it all paid off. I was excited to be out there with my team for one last time,” said Miele.
The road to becoming a NCAA champion took shape during Miele’s freshman year at Mount. At the request of a couple of Mountie soccer teammates who helped form the school’s co-ed cheer program the previous year, Miele attended the tryouts.
“You get to do flips and throw girls in the air,”
Miele recalled about some of the selling points told to him by his soccer buddies. “It was different than anything I had ever done, but that’s how I began my journey.”
It’s a journey that Miele elected to immerse himself into even deeper. After cheering under the Mount umbrella during his first two years of high school, Miele joined a club program led Jeffrey Manhart, a former college cheerleader for the University of Louisville. As his passion for cheerleading grew, Miele stayed busy on the athletic front at Mount. In soccer, he saw time at forward and goalie. He also participated in track, competing in several relay events and the shot put.
Thanks to Manhart’s connections with Kentucky cheerleading head coach Jomo Thompson, Miele landed on the Wildcats’ radar. Not all colleges offer cheerleading scholarships, but Kentucky does. When it came time to make a final decision, Miele said the determining factor in choosing a school was one that offered a top-flight cheer program. Buoyed by a strong national reputation, the Wildcats checked off all the appropriate boxes.
“My mindset was that if I was going to cheer in college, I was going to do it at the best university,” said Miele. “But I also make sure the academics were just as good.”
Like football and basketball, competitive cheerleading is a major time commitment. Unlike the two sports that Miele and his fellow Wildcat cheerleaders support, time is truly of the essence. Everything boils down to a two-and-ahalf minute routine where precision is paramount. Months of practicing can be undone by the slightest of ill-timed slipups.
The road to national acclaim begins shortly after school begins in the fall. Miele said the team will practice four times a week and workout three times per week. They’ll also prepare for UK football games and the upcoming basketball season.
“It’s more about skill building at that point,” said Miele.
It truly becomes go time when December rolls around. Two-a-day practices become the new normal in the quest to get the routine down pat.
“We’re doing hundreds of reps and letting our bodies built that muscle memory so that once we get on the mat, everything comes naturally,” said Miele.
With Kentucky lacking its usual strong and dependable stable of male cheerleaders, Miele knew he was going to be counted on even more heading into the 2018 finals. Even though the aforementioned back surgery took place last spring, he was able return and ensure the Wildcats had their routine down pat upon heading to Orlando for the nationals.
“We have a winning tradition that we want to uphold,” said Miele.
Looking back on that memorable January night, Miele knew something special was in the works as the Wildcats went about pregame warmups.
“Everything went well and we were really excited,” he said. “Once we stepped on the mat, I think everyone switched on to auto pilot. We were able to put out a routine that was fantastic and blew the judges away. We came together at the right moment. Of the three titles I was fortunate enough to be a part of, this past one was easily my favorite.”
“There’s always a lot of pressure coming off a win. You’re viewed as the top dogs,” Miele added. “It makes you want to go out and prove that you’re still the best.”
The world of competitive cheerleading might be officially over for Miele, yet cheering for the UK men’s hoop team is still on the docket for what he hopes lasts well into March. He says his inclusion into the world of one of college basketball’s true blueblood programs has definitely been eye-opening, and not just because he has a good seat to view head coach John Calipari when his emotions boil over.
“It’s almost incomparable because there’s so much hype built up around every Kentucky basketball game. Plus, you get to stand on the sidelines and cheer for future pros. That’s just crazy,” said Miele. “Sometimes we chuckle at how intense (Calipari) can get.”
Miele will graduate from UK this spring with a degree in mechanical engineering. Despite all the injuries that have built up over time, it’s bittersweet that a part of his life that’s meant so much to him is slowing down. Cheerleading at Kentucky has provided him with lifetime memories, though he looks forward to day down the line when he meets up with his Wildcat cheering compadres to see if they still have what it takes.
“I’m satisfied with what I’ve accomplished,” said Miele. “For me personally, it’s a good time to be done.”