Fresh off a national championship, Morningside competitive cheer head coach Maci Ohm and student-athlete Amber Hofmeister join Inside Mside to relive the Mustangs’ unforgettable run to the Small Intermediate Coed NAIA title at the NCA College Nationals. From team chemistry to pressure-packed moments, hear the inside story behind the historic accomplishment.
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(00:00):
This is Inside M-Side, your favorite podcast for all things Morningside.
(00:04):
Here's stories from students, alumni, faculty, and more about what makes the
Morningside experience so special.
Hello and welcome into this latest edition of the Inside M-Side
podcasts on our YouTube channel or your favorite audio platform.
Thank you so much for joining us today.
I'm Zach James, your host, and coming up in this episode, we're going to
(00:25):
celebrate the Morningside Cheer Squad as they are national champions.
They competed in the NCAA College National Competition last month, and
they came away with the Intermediate Small Co-ed NAI Championship with two
strong performances down in Daytona Beach, Florida.
We'll hear from Morningside Head Coach Macy Ulm, who is a Morningside
(00:45):
grad herself, and Senior Amber Hofmeister after their campus-wide
celebration last week inside the Olson Student Center.
These are audio-only interviews, so keep that in mind as we move forward,
but that doesn't take away from the pride and the excitement and all the
emotion that they express in these two interviews.
Let's start off with those interviews, and we'll start off with Morningside
(01:08):
Coach Macy Ulm as she came away with the national championship, and she's
very, very proud of her team.
And the first question I asked her was how proud she really was of bringing
home a national championship.
You know what?
I wholeheartedly believed in this group.
So it's, it's been a really full circle moment for me.
(01:29):
It's, it still feels pretty surreal being an athlete and now a coach here.
It just, it just feels super full circle.
So yeah.
How sweet does it feel being an athlete now, being as a coach, bringing
a, bringing a national championship home?
I think for me, the coolest part of this experience has been since I've been here
(01:51):
to now, there's just been so much growth that has happened within the program.
I've been here for four years now.
So to see just the advancements that have been made and the progress and the new
opportunities that have been afforded to us, just really make me smile and make me
happy.
Walk me through that progression from when you first became coach.
(02:15):
And we can talk about that in a minute here, because I want you to tell that
story too, because I know that story and it's a cool story, but walk me through
the progression of when you took over the program to now and just how that
progression has been made.
To put it lightly, I think coaching styles were different before me.
So it took some time to find athletes that aligned with my coaching style and
(02:39):
believed in what I also believed in.
So being four years in, I really feel like I have finally found my core group of
athletes where they share the same philosophy as me.
We're trying to cultivate an environment where they feel supported and they feel
heard and seen.
And I'm hopeful that they learn life lessons, you know, more than just cheer
(03:02):
lessons here, more so life lessons too.
So just again, seeing the growth and the progress that has happened since I've
graduated and then since I've taken over this program is pretty incredible.
What was the moment like when you all found out that you were National
Championship champions?
What was that moment like?
A breath of fresh air, a lot of weight lifted off my shoulders.
(03:26):
It took a lot of decision-making skills, a lot of hard conversations to get to this
point.
And to be very honest with you, there were some doubts that crept in throughout the
season.
Like, did I make the right decision?
Did we move in the right direction?
And so when our name was announced on that stage right by the ocean with that giant
(03:49):
trophy, it was just a culmination of all the events that led up to it and just feeling
pretty accomplished.
And finally, like, I made the right decision.
How did that confidence that you made the right decision just prevail through?
How did you know that the decisions you made were the right ones?
I think a little bit of that is the fake it till you make it.
(04:12):
So maybe the confidence didn't start showing until later on.
But again, I faked it.
And I am pretty big on intuition and gut feelings.
And I felt like this was where we needed to go.
And so I went with it.
And I owe a big thank you to my team for trusting me because there was a lot of
(04:34):
unknown.
So the trust that they had in me and myself and the trust that I had in them to get this
done was exactly what we needed to make this decision and then to have it be pretty
fruitful. So let's kind of get into the decision here, going into NCAA instead of
NAIA. Just explain what that decision entailed and what the differences are between
(04:55):
NCAA and NAIA and all that stuff.
NAIA and NCAA are two completely different entities.
With the NAIA, we had competed in it for the three years that I was here and obviously
previously before me.
And to be honest with you, there was a lot of scoring discrepancies.
It felt like they just weren't as structured and organized as what I felt a
(05:22):
collegiate competition should be.
I don't feel like certain programs were given fair opportunities as others that were
more well known.
So underdogs had a hard time getting their name out there.
So I knew that NCAA has been around for a long time, much longer than the NAIA
(05:44):
competitive cheer world.
And so I felt like giving NCAA a chance where it was completely unbiased.
You have no idea what teams get bids to go out there.
You don't know the judging.
I just felt like it was a new resource for us to use to see how capable our team was.
(06:05):
With the NAIA, most of the competitions that we went to were hosted by other NAIA
schools. And it was always up to the host coach to find judges, which of course, I'm
sure you understand, leads to them hiring alumni or people that they're friends with.
(06:26):
Or it just it didn't feel like it was always fair or consistent.
You'd score an 82 at one comp and then you'd go to another school and you'd get a 67.
So just the inconsistency was pretty draining and tiring.
And it's hard to go back to a team and tell them what they did wrong or differently when
(06:48):
realistically it was the judging.
So, yeah.
How consistently did this group perform the entire year?
You know, after we got our choreographer in October, that was their first time with
choreography. And he was incredible.
Shout out to Luis from Spirit FX.
That was also his first NCAA routine.
So pretty incredible accomplishment for him.
(07:09):
But this team, when they got this routine, they were determined and ready and fueled to
make this work and make this a championship routine.
So, of course, we went through battles and struggles, but they worked through them.
They worked through them together.
And it resulted in the two best routines I had ever seen going into prelims and finals a
(07:31):
few weeks ago.
The group got down to Daytona Beach.
Walk me through how they performed in prelims and how that momentum went into finals.
Yeah. So prelims, I'm going to be honest, we get there and the first three days in Daytona
Beach, it was like we were in the Amazon rainforest.
There was torrential downpour, winds, the waves were huge.
(07:52):
We really spent most of our time inside.
So it was kind of cooped up, really envisioning and thinking about what we wanted to make
happen on Thursday.
It ended up so that we were supposed to compete Thursday for prelims and then compete
Friday for finals.
And because the weather was so bad, we got pushed and had to compete Friday for prelims
(08:13):
and then Saturday for finals.
So going into Friday, we had an amazing practice.
We had a great warm up.
We, you know, the mindset was really just let's leave it all out on the mat.
That's what you say in cheer.
And I really believe they did that.
The goal was to hit a hit zero routine.
It's pretty uncommon to get zero deductions at NCA just because of the nerves.
(08:34):
Right. And they did that.
And when we received our score and saw that we were six points higher than that second
place team, it was I mean, it was a pretty like pat on the back moment.
Like, yeah, we just did that.
So going into finals that next day, it was more about let's just own this routine one
more time. We know we can do this.
(08:55):
We know we've if we can do what we did yesterday, this championship could be ours.
And so that was the mindset.
And they did just that.
I would say it was better round two than round one.
And that's all you can ask for.
Yeah. Well, your best performance is your last performance.
That's that's what you want to see out of these guys.
What's it like seeing this group have your smile on a daily basis?
(09:18):
It means everything to me.
I think more so seeing them see all their hard work pay off, the sacrifice, the time,
the dedication that they put in to this season.
For me, it's everything to see the smiles and them repping these NCA jackets that everybody
wants to wear.
It means everything to me.
(09:40):
I mentioned it earlier in the interview, but I do want to have you tell the story of how
you got the gig and just what it means to you to be coach.
So there's a few parts to this story.
So I was a cheerleader here at Morningside.
And when I graduated, I started Apex Elite All-Star Cheer, which is another club cheer
program. Of course, I live and eat and breathe cheer.
(10:03):
I coached Apex for a few years, and my co-coach knew the previous Morningside cheer coach
here. And when she caught wind that he was leaving, I kind of put a bug in her ear.
I'm like, well, I'd like that position.
And so I found Jim Sykes' email.
And before the job was even posted, I shot him an email and just said, hey, I'm interested.
(10:28):
I would love to have an interview and talk about this position.
And I got an interview and haven't really looked back since.
I would say what makes this, again, an even more full circle moment for me is the fact
that my nana, my grandma, Sharon Dornan, and my grandpa, John Dornan, both were alumni
(10:52):
from Morningside, cheerleader and football player.
And then again, my grandpa was also the football coach for a few years.
So just, yeah, I don't know.
Kind of continuing the legacy is pretty cool.
Next up is senior Amber Hoffmeister, as she's one of the many members on that successful
national championship squad.
(11:12):
And the first question I asked her was basically the same one I asked Coach Shulman, just does
the feeling still feel real of being a national champion?
I'm kind of still on a high, but I'm also really sad that it's my last year.
What's it like just seeing the Morningside community provide so much support?
I love it.
It feels so special.
And it just makes my heart so warm and so happy seeing everybody supporting us and being
(11:37):
here for us.
And I'm really grateful that the band was able to be here.
And they really know how to elevate a room and get the vibes up.
And I'm just really thankful and blessed to have such a good community at Morningside.
When did you all know that your group was a special one?
I would say this year, I know Macy mentioned having hard conversations and everything.
(12:00):
And she also had hard conversations with our team.
And we sat down and we talked about everything that was going to happen if we decided to
go to NCAA.
And everybody was just kind of ready to take that leap and trust Macy and trust each other.
And I think that's when we kind of knew that we had a special trust that can't be broken.
(12:22):
How important did you need to trust Macy in that decision going from NAIA to NCAA?
It was really important because we've been in the NAIA since cheer was established as
a sport here.
And it was really comfortable.
It's what all the schools around here do.
We go to NAIA.
We go to GPAC.
(12:44):
Yeah, it's just what people do.
And it's just where people are comfortable.
And to say that we're just going to completely drop it and go to NCAA required trust from
everybody and trust that Macy knows what she's doing.
And she's really smart.
She's a big part of the cheer world.
And she saw that belief in us.
And we had to trust that we could see it in ourselves too since Macy saw it.
(13:06):
I think that we went in really confident to NCAA because we had so much trust in each
other and love for each other.
But it was also kind of a toss up of what was going to happen there because we've never
been there.
And I think it just really showed that we worked hard and we put our all out there.
And it won us a championship.
(13:27):
What was that moment like when you found out that you were national champions?
It was crazy.
It was really surreal.
I mean, I didn't expect it to be so honest.
As my senior year, I did trust Macy.
But I also knew that this was something completely different.
And it could go one of two ways.
And so when we hit that second routine, I think we all kind of knew where we stood.
(13:53):
And then they announced it up on that stage.
And it was just amazing.
It was a moment like no other.
That'll do it for this edition of the Inside M-Side podcast.
See you on our YouTube channel or your favorite audio platform.
Stay tuned for the final two episodes of our series for the school year as they're big
ones.
Digital Marketing Specialist Allison Strzok sits down with President Chad Benson as they
(14:18):
take a look at this past school year and the highlights of that.
And they'll look ahead for what they're looking forward to for the 2026-2027 academic school
year.
So stay tuned for those episodes as they'll drop two weeks from today as well as on June
3rd.
So stick around with us for a couple more weeks as we'll roll out a little bit more
(14:39):
content.
But in the meantime, thank you so much for watching.
Thank you so much for listening.
For everybody here at Morningside University and the University Engagement staff, I'm Zach
James.
Thank you so much for watching and listening to this edition of the Inside M-Side podcast.
We'll talk to you next time.
This is Inside M-Side, your favorite podcast for all things Morningside.
(00:04):
Here's stories from students, alumni, faculty, and more about what makes the
Morningside experience so special.
Hello and welcome into this latest edition of the Inside M-Side
podcasts on our YouTube channel or your favorite audio platform.
Thank you so much for joining us today.
I'm Zach James, your host, and coming up in this episode, we're going to
(00:25):
celebrate the Morningside Cheer Squad as they are national champions.
They competed in the NCAA College National Competition last month, and
they came away with the Intermediate Small Co-ed NAI Championship with two
strong performances down in Daytona Beach, Florida.
We'll hear from Morningside Head Coach Macy Ulm, who is a Morningside
(00:45):
grad herself, and Senior Amber Hofmeister after their campus-wide
celebration last week inside the Olson Student Center.
These are audio-only interviews, so keep that in mind as we move forward,
but that doesn't take away from the pride and the excitement and all the
emotion that they express in these two interviews.
Let's start off with those interviews, and we'll start off with Morningside
(01:08):
Coach Macy Ulm as she came away with the national championship, and she's
very, very proud of her team.
And the first question I asked her was how proud she really was of bringing
home a national championship.
You know what?
I wholeheartedly believed in this group.
So it's, it's been a really full circle moment for me.
(01:29):
It's, it still feels pretty surreal being an athlete and now a coach here.
It just, it just feels super full circle.
So yeah.
How sweet does it feel being an athlete now, being as a coach, bringing
a, bringing a national championship home?
I think for me, the coolest part of this experience has been since I've been here
(01:51):
to now, there's just been so much growth that has happened within the program.
I've been here for four years now.
So to see just the advancements that have been made and the progress and the new
opportunities that have been afforded to us, just really make me smile and make me
happy.
Walk me through that progression from when you first became coach.
(02:15):
And we can talk about that in a minute here, because I want you to tell that
story too, because I know that story and it's a cool story, but walk me through
the progression of when you took over the program to now and just how that
progression has been made.
To put it lightly, I think coaching styles were different before me.
So it took some time to find athletes that aligned with my coaching style and
(02:39):
believed in what I also believed in.
So being four years in, I really feel like I have finally found my core group of
athletes where they share the same philosophy as me.
We're trying to cultivate an environment where they feel supported and they feel
heard and seen.
And I'm hopeful that they learn life lessons, you know, more than just cheer
(03:02):
lessons here, more so life lessons too.
So just again, seeing the growth and the progress that has happened since I've
graduated and then since I've taken over this program is pretty incredible.
What was the moment like when you all found out that you were National
Championship champions?
What was that moment like?
A breath of fresh air, a lot of weight lifted off my shoulders.
(03:26):
It took a lot of decision-making skills, a lot of hard conversations to get to this
point.
And to be very honest with you, there were some doubts that crept in throughout the
season.
Like, did I make the right decision?
Did we move in the right direction?
And so when our name was announced on that stage right by the ocean with that giant
(03:49):
trophy, it was just a culmination of all the events that led up to it and just feeling
pretty accomplished.
And finally, like, I made the right decision.
How did that confidence that you made the right decision just prevail through?
How did you know that the decisions you made were the right ones?
I think a little bit of that is the fake it till you make it.
(04:12):
So maybe the confidence didn't start showing until later on.
But again, I faked it.
And I am pretty big on intuition and gut feelings.
And I felt like this was where we needed to go.
And so I went with it.
And I owe a big thank you to my team for trusting me because there was a lot of
(04:34):
unknown.
So the trust that they had in me and myself and the trust that I had in them to get this
done was exactly what we needed to make this decision and then to have it be pretty
fruitful. So let's kind of get into the decision here, going into NCAA instead of
NAIA. Just explain what that decision entailed and what the differences are between
(04:55):
NCAA and NAIA and all that stuff.
NAIA and NCAA are two completely different entities.
With the NAIA, we had competed in it for the three years that I was here and obviously
previously before me.
And to be honest with you, there was a lot of scoring discrepancies.
It felt like they just weren't as structured and organized as what I felt a
(05:22):
collegiate competition should be.
I don't feel like certain programs were given fair opportunities as others that were
more well known.
So underdogs had a hard time getting their name out there.
So I knew that NCAA has been around for a long time, much longer than the NAIA
(05:44):
competitive cheer world.
And so I felt like giving NCAA a chance where it was completely unbiased.
You have no idea what teams get bids to go out there.
You don't know the judging.
I just felt like it was a new resource for us to use to see how capable our team was.
(06:05):
With the NAIA, most of the competitions that we went to were hosted by other NAIA
schools. And it was always up to the host coach to find judges, which of course, I'm
sure you understand, leads to them hiring alumni or people that they're friends with.
(06:26):
Or it just it didn't feel like it was always fair or consistent.
You'd score an 82 at one comp and then you'd go to another school and you'd get a 67.
So just the inconsistency was pretty draining and tiring.
And it's hard to go back to a team and tell them what they did wrong or differently when
(06:48):
realistically it was the judging.
So, yeah.
How consistently did this group perform the entire year?
You know, after we got our choreographer in October, that was their first time with
choreography. And he was incredible.
Shout out to Luis from Spirit FX.
That was also his first NCAA routine.
So pretty incredible accomplishment for him.
(07:09):
But this team, when they got this routine, they were determined and ready and fueled to
make this work and make this a championship routine.
So, of course, we went through battles and struggles, but they worked through them.
They worked through them together.
And it resulted in the two best routines I had ever seen going into prelims and finals a
(07:31):
few weeks ago.
The group got down to Daytona Beach.
Walk me through how they performed in prelims and how that momentum went into finals.
Yeah. So prelims, I'm going to be honest, we get there and the first three days in Daytona
Beach, it was like we were in the Amazon rainforest.
There was torrential downpour, winds, the waves were huge.
(07:52):
We really spent most of our time inside.
So it was kind of cooped up, really envisioning and thinking about what we wanted to make
happen on Thursday.
It ended up so that we were supposed to compete Thursday for prelims and then compete
Friday for finals.
And because the weather was so bad, we got pushed and had to compete Friday for prelims
(08:13):
and then Saturday for finals.
So going into Friday, we had an amazing practice.
We had a great warm up.
We, you know, the mindset was really just let's leave it all out on the mat.
That's what you say in cheer.
And I really believe they did that.
The goal was to hit a hit zero routine.
It's pretty uncommon to get zero deductions at NCA just because of the nerves.
(08:34):
Right. And they did that.
And when we received our score and saw that we were six points higher than that second
place team, it was I mean, it was a pretty like pat on the back moment.
Like, yeah, we just did that.
So going into finals that next day, it was more about let's just own this routine one
more time. We know we can do this.
(08:55):
We know we've if we can do what we did yesterday, this championship could be ours.
And so that was the mindset.
And they did just that.
I would say it was better round two than round one.
And that's all you can ask for.
Yeah. Well, your best performance is your last performance.
That's that's what you want to see out of these guys.
What's it like seeing this group have your smile on a daily basis?
(09:18):
It means everything to me.
I think more so seeing them see all their hard work pay off, the sacrifice, the time,
the dedication that they put in to this season.
For me, it's everything to see the smiles and them repping these NCA jackets that everybody
wants to wear.
It means everything to me.
(09:40):
I mentioned it earlier in the interview, but I do want to have you tell the story of how
you got the gig and just what it means to you to be coach.
So there's a few parts to this story.
So I was a cheerleader here at Morningside.
And when I graduated, I started Apex Elite All-Star Cheer, which is another club cheer
program. Of course, I live and eat and breathe cheer.
(10:03):
I coached Apex for a few years, and my co-coach knew the previous Morningside cheer coach
here. And when she caught wind that he was leaving, I kind of put a bug in her ear.
I'm like, well, I'd like that position.
And so I found Jim Sykes' email.
And before the job was even posted, I shot him an email and just said, hey, I'm interested.
(10:28):
I would love to have an interview and talk about this position.
And I got an interview and haven't really looked back since.
I would say what makes this, again, an even more full circle moment for me is the fact
that my nana, my grandma, Sharon Dornan, and my grandpa, John Dornan, both were alumni
(10:52):
from Morningside, cheerleader and football player.
And then again, my grandpa was also the football coach for a few years.
So just, yeah, I don't know.
Kind of continuing the legacy is pretty cool.
Next up is senior Amber Hoffmeister, as she's one of the many members on that successful
national championship squad.
(11:12):
And the first question I asked her was basically the same one I asked Coach Shulman, just does
the feeling still feel real of being a national champion?
I'm kind of still on a high, but I'm also really sad that it's my last year.
What's it like just seeing the Morningside community provide so much support?
I love it.
It feels so special.
And it just makes my heart so warm and so happy seeing everybody supporting us and being
(11:37):
here for us.
And I'm really grateful that the band was able to be here.
And they really know how to elevate a room and get the vibes up.
And I'm just really thankful and blessed to have such a good community at Morningside.
When did you all know that your group was a special one?
I would say this year, I know Macy mentioned having hard conversations and everything.
(12:00):
And she also had hard conversations with our team.
And we sat down and we talked about everything that was going to happen if we decided to
go to NCAA.
And everybody was just kind of ready to take that leap and trust Macy and trust each other.
And I think that's when we kind of knew that we had a special trust that can't be broken.
(12:22):
How important did you need to trust Macy in that decision going from NAIA to NCAA?
It was really important because we've been in the NAIA since cheer was established as
a sport here.
And it was really comfortable.
It's what all the schools around here do.
We go to NAIA.
We go to GPAC.
(12:44):
Yeah, it's just what people do.
And it's just where people are comfortable.
And to say that we're just going to completely drop it and go to NCAA required trust from
everybody and trust that Macy knows what she's doing.
And she's really smart.
She's a big part of the cheer world.
And she saw that belief in us.
And we had to trust that we could see it in ourselves too since Macy saw it.
(13:06):
I think that we went in really confident to NCAA because we had so much trust in each
other and love for each other.
But it was also kind of a toss up of what was going to happen there because we've never
been there.
And I think it just really showed that we worked hard and we put our all out there.
And it won us a championship.
(13:27):
What was that moment like when you found out that you were national champions?
It was crazy.
It was really surreal.
I mean, I didn't expect it to be so honest.
As my senior year, I did trust Macy.
But I also knew that this was something completely different.
And it could go one of two ways.
And so when we hit that second routine, I think we all kind of knew where we stood.
(13:53):
And then they announced it up on that stage.
And it was just amazing.
It was a moment like no other.
That'll do it for this edition of the Inside M-Side podcast.
See you on our YouTube channel or your favorite audio platform.
Stay tuned for the final two episodes of our series for the school year as they're big
ones.
Digital Marketing Specialist Allison Strzok sits down with President Chad Benson as they
(14:18):
take a look at this past school year and the highlights of that.
And they'll look ahead for what they're looking forward to for the 2026-2027 academic school
year.
So stay tuned for those episodes as they'll drop two weeks from today as well as on June
3rd.
So stick around with us for a couple more weeks as we'll roll out a little bit more
(14:39):
content.
But in the meantime, thank you so much for watching.
Thank you so much for listening.
For everybody here at Morningside University and the University Engagement staff, I'm Zach
James.
Thank you so much for watching and listening to this edition of the Inside M-Side podcast.
We'll talk to you next time.
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Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com