Two GM grads to play (music) at NCAA tourney

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When the University of Vermont men’s basketball team takes the floor against Perdue tonight in Milwaukee, two Green Mountain Union High School graduates will be there cheering the team on as members of the UVM Pep Band.

On Wednesday, Emily Guerra and Emily Comstock told The Telegraph that the band, the Cheer Team and the Dance Team had flown to “Brew City” on Monday to avoid the snowstorm and had been seeing the sights and rehearsing ever since.

“We just got back from the zoo,” said Comstock, noting that they were heading off to a dress rehearsal at the convention center.

Guerra explained that at the tournament the band is limited in the number of times they play. “We normally have 20 to 30 pieces,” said Guerra, “but at the NCAA we’re only allowed five or six.”

In addition to playing at time-outs, the 30-member band will be performing live for the Cheer and Dance teams, which usually work with prerecorded music.

According to the pair, teams are only allowed to bring six-member Cheer and Dance teams to the tournament even though the schools have larger squads. “It’s so the big schools don’t overpower the small ones,” said Comstock.

The students are on Spring Break this week and if the 13th seeded Catamounts beat the 4th seeded Boilermakers, they will remain in Milwaukee for a second round game on Saturday. “After that, we’re into excused absences,” said Guerra hopefully.

The game starts at 7:27 p.m. tonight. There are a variety of ways to watch depending on your cable or satellite provider and the NCAA is providing a pay-to-view live stream.