Homecoming is this Saturday and Pitt football will take the field against ACC rival Louisville. Despite their rough start to the season, the Panthers hope their hard work throughout the summer, training camp and every week in practice pays off in front of fans and alumni on Homecoming day.
But football is not the only team that sacrifices hours, days and weeks perfecting their craft to put on a show for Panthers’ fans on game days. Pitt’s cheer and dance teams dedicate much of their time practicing stunts and routines used on game days to keep fans engaged.
This is no easy task. Senior cheerleader Carly Dowiak was stricken with emotions as she spoke about what Pitt Cheer meant for her. For Dowiak, the work put in becomes a sense of identity.
“I’ve spent my last four years dedicating weekends at football and weekdays at volleyball and basketball to cheer,” Dowiak said. “It’s become a sort of identity for me, you can’t do this without being passionate about it.”
Dowiak, a microbiology major, joined Pitt cheer as a first-year student during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic limited the number of fans that could attend Pitt football games, and that had an effect on the cheer team, who find pride in keeping the fans engaged no matter what is happening on the field behind them.
“It’s a lot easier with fans there,” Dowiak said. “You feel kind of crazy when you’re out there cheering in front of no fans, the crowd helps energize you.”
Dowiak along with other seniors on the Pitt Cheer and Dance team are heading into their last Homecoming games. Over their four years, they’ve seen an abundance of changes. Changes varying from football being an ACC champion in 2021, to the 2023 quarterback fiasco. Other changes such as the ending of the pandemic and the lifting of fan restrictions, to Acrisure Stadium hosting the most-attended sporting event in Western Pennsylvania history have added to what has been a rollercoaster ride to start the 2020 decade.
Regardless of the turbulence, the thought of last anythings is a sad feeling that everyone can relate to. But for senior dancer Kat Perkins, it is a more triumphant feeling.
“I don’t think I’m as somber about it,” Perkins, a social work major, said. “I’m actually really excited. This is the first game my parents will attend. I feel like this game specifically will be what I wanted my collegiate dance experience to be.”
Perkins gets to celebrate her first game in which her parents are in attendance, but it’s not the only first of the weekend. While the seniors get closer and closer to their last home games, first-year cheerleader Bryn Junko is just beginning her cheer career at Pitt. But she’s very familiar with Pitt and the city of Pittsburgh.
Junko is cousins with redshirt senior wide receiver Josh Junko and redshirt sophomore punter Caleb Junko. Pitt runs through the Junko family’s blood, as their grandfather Bob Junko was a long-time Panthers’ coach and administrator. With these deep ties to Pitt, it makes sense that Bryn Junko isn’t anxious for what awaits her this Saturday.
“I’m actually really excited,” Junko said. “My family and I have been longtime Pitt fans. We have always come out for Pitt homecoming games, so I have a sense of what to expect, but I’m excited to be out there on the sidelines for it this time.”
Cheering at Pitt is a long-time dream for Junko, who cherishes the opportunity.
“It’s an honor,” Junko said. “Pitt has always been my dream school, a younger me would be so proud and excited for Saturday.”
Apart from her family ties, Junko attributes her lack of nervousness to her elder teammates, who make sure she’s prepared heading into every game.
“I get a little nervous,” Junko said. “But my teammates, especially the upperclassmen are always there to check up on me and have my back.”
Junko shares a passion for Pitt with senior dancer Alexis DiNardo. DiNardo, a computer science and digital narrative and interactive design major, is a three-year member of the dance team. As a Pittsburgh native, it means a lot to her to perform in front of a city she grew up in.
“It’s special for us that we get to be ambassadors for the university,” DiNardo said. “Especially since I grew up in Pittsburgh and always wanted to come to Pitt.”
The camaraderie built between the two teams is plentiful, despite them both having completely different skill sets. Cheerleading focuses a lot on stunts while Dance is much more choreographed with music. Regardless, athletes must fight their nerves to create an exciting spectacle for fans. These nerves are doubled for seniors, who know that this is their last homecoming game.
But senior cheerleader and natural science major Ramsey Lewand sees it as an opportunity to celebrate the team and their alumni.
“I think it’s more exciting,” Lewand said. “It’s bittersweet knowing that it’s my last homecoming, but I’m excited to see all the cheer alumni on the field.”
For cheer and dance team members of all ages, being a Panther means more than just rocking the royal blue and gold, and more than a dance routine on the field in the third quarter of football games. A lot goes into the product seen on the field on game days.
Carrying that weight on their shoulders is rewarding for some of the Panthers, and Perkins credits Pitt dance for helping her find happiness.
“It’s truthfully a great honor,” Perkins said. “The dance team has brought me so much joy over the years.”
One thing is for certain, Panthers fans know they are in for a show on Saturday no matter the result of the football contest. Pitt cheer and dance alumni will attend the game, and some will join for a few routines. When asked what to expect this Saturday, Perkins and Junko echoed the same exact phrase.
“Oh man,” Junko said. “I’d probably say you just have to wait and see.”