56-0. This is the record of the CBU Stunt team since their inaugural season in 2021. The team has managed to become an anomaly in the sports world with their unprecedented skill and competitive nature, accomplishing something that no one has come close to in the 12 years of organized STUNT’s existence.
A successful program has to have strong leadership at the top. Strong leadership is not enough in and of itself, though, as every great team needs something bigger to help guide them through the high points as well as the low points. What this is looks different for every team, and what it is they exactly represent and hope to accomplish.
Head STUNT Coach Brandon Seagondollar does not mince words with what he and the STUNT team represent.
“[We’re] trying to build a legacy that will outlast all of us. That starts with the culture within and glorifying God at the center of it. When you have God at the center of your program, the culture is built around something bigger than wins and losses. It’s built around faith; it’s built around his guidance and glorifying him,” said Seagondollar.
Of course, what the team has accomplished is already evident by their record. The pressure to perform game after game, however, can build up, especially with such a demanding schedule year in and year out. Most people know how hard it is for a team to be back-to-back champions in any sport, let alone three-time national champions.
Most teams would break under this kind of pressure, but for Coach Seagondollar, this is all just part of the process.
“You have to have pressure and these expectations to create diamonds,” Seagondollar said. “Diamonds are created out of pressure. With all that pressure and hard work, you crack it open, and you have a beautiful diamond. We need that pressure to shine bright at the end of the journey.”
The players, for their part, have fully embraced the pressure and competitive spirit that their coach embodies so well, using this pressure to their advantage.
“Pressure can be destructive, but we choose to embrace it as an opportunity to build something amazing and beautiful,” said Sadie Hackford, senior sport management major. “With three consecutive championships and an undefeated record, the expectation for perfection is heavy but does not hold us down. We compete against our own standards, raising the bar for ourselves and our competitors and future teams each season.”
The result of hard work and dedication has allowed this team to create something truly historical and it is especially rewarding for the players who get to be a part of it.
“Being a part of CBU STUNT, especially as the premier trailblazers in the sport, is an incredibly rewarding experience. Our team’s success and dedication not only reflect our individual skills and hard work but also the culture and family environment we’ve fostered,” said Breanna Gonzalez, a fifth-year graduate student with an MBA concentration in management.
Many of the original players who were here for the inaugural season are beginning to graduate, leaving a new generation of up-and-coming players to take the reigns and continue this tradition of greatness. With new players comes new challenges, especially as coaches and players bring them up to speed.
“We have a really strong incoming freshman, rookie class, and I knew that they were gonna be able to rise to the occasion in addition to the leadership of our veteran athletes,” Seagonsdollar said. “I wanted to push the schedule a little bit more, we wanted to travel a little bit more, and we wanted to try to seek out teams that would put up a good fight against us.”
Any team’s veteran players need to impart what they have learned to the younger players, lest the culture and work ethic of the team that helped get them this far be altered or lost altogether. This attitude is reflected in many veteran players and reflects how important this team has become to them.
“We have a champion mindset, learning and growing together to be the best. We are all in, remembering where it all began as we make history for women in sports,” said Hackford.
As the sport continues to grow, these women have been able to accomplish what can only be described as historic, all the while maintaining a humble attitude in the process.
“Being at the forefront of STUNT allows us to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the sport while inspiring others to follow,” Gonzalez said. “Despite the achievements of this program, we also focus on glorifying God in everything we do. None of it would be possible without the grace of God.”
