With New Leadership, SMU Pom Squad Gets Bigger and Better
SMU fans shouldn’t be confusing the cheer and pom squads anymore.
“If you ever see the SMU pom team, you can always tell us apart by our custom-made City Boots,” quipped Lydia England, a sophomore from University Park.
But the changes go beyond wardrobe.
The SMU Pom Squad has doubled in size to 20 while improving dance techniques and providing more uniform performances.
England and others attribute the changes to higher expectations and new leadership.
The new director, Emily Sullivan, was the former captain of the LSU Tiger Girls.
“Excited doesn’t even begin to start with how I feel about having the opportunity to coach the SMU Pom Squad,” Sullivan said. “Dance is a huge passion of mine, but the ability to inspire and empower a team of young women is what I’m most looking forward to.”
The new assistant director, Morgan Peterson, is a former SMU Pom Squad member.
“Coming back to join the staff for the SMU Pom Squad this year is both exciting and nostalgic as I get to reminisce on my time on the team while also helping to develop the team as individuals both on and off the field,” Peterson said.
She joined the team as a freshman in 2014 and continued to serve as a member for all four of her college years, serving as captain in her last two seasons.
“There is so much potential with both SMU Cheer and Pom based on the strong foundation that has been built,” Peterson said. “I can’t wait to . . . see where we can take the team.”
The squad’s new interim spirit director, Mary Drill Krow, graduated from SMU in 2013 with a psychology degree and a statistics minor.
After college, she went on to spend two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and earned the Rookie of the Year award.
Krow has been choreographing for professional teams for the past 10 years and has worked with such college teams as those at Oklahoma State University, the University of Tulsa, and Dallas Baptist University.
With the many new additions to the program, the audition process has become more vigorous while student interest and satisfaction have increased.
“The new leadership of the SMU Pom Squad has positively impacted both my life and my team experience,” England said. “It has contributed to my growth as an individual and as a dancer.”
