OREM, Utah — The Utah Valley University men's basketball team is headed to the semifinals for the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in Las Vegas.
This comes after a 74-68 win over Cincinnati on their home floor Wednesday night.
Sharing the big moment with the team during their first nationally televised game, the university's cheering president.
The ESPN cameras captured Dr. Astrid S. Tuminez in her usual seat, with her pom poms in hand, cheering on her Wolverines.
"I wasn't even really fully aware of it until way after the game when people were texting and messaging me and said, I saw you on TV," said Tuminez.
She says some of her friends from Asia even reached out to her, to say they saw her on ESPN.
Tuminez has been UVU's president for four and a half years.
"I always have pom poms at the game, and I can't keep myself in my seat," said Tuminez.
She says she came to Orem from Singapore, after serving as Regional Director of Corporate External and Legal Affairs in Southeast Asia for Microsoft.
"Before I even started this job, somebody gave me a little pom at a men's soccer game and then I realized that at most of the sports events, the cheering is really so important," said Tuminez.
Tuminez tells FOX 13 News that she is a regular at the basketball games.
"Same seat every game," said Tuminez. "I only missed one this year."
As well as plenty of other sporting events at the school.
"I go to volleyball, soccer, baseball, softball, and wrestling," said Tuminez.
A common sight at all of those games is her green and silver pom poms.
"I have already gone through, I would say at least three sets, they get worn out, they all fall off, they get used a lot and, and so this is probably I now have spare sets because I need them," said Tuminez.
The sight of the university's president cheering, dancing and having fun on national television is something that caught the eye of students who couldn't attend the game, like Brandon Ormsby.
"I point out to my wife, honey, this is my president dancing on the side of the court with pom poms, like, this is like Mark Cuban at a Dallas Mavericks game, It was great," said Ormsby.
Ormsby is a sophomore at UVU, majoring in nursing.
"To have this, I think really brings you out into that spotlight, especially if we're able to go through and finish the NIT and win it all," said Ormsby.
As the school continues its journey through the NIT, Tuminez says she will be there, with her husband, cheering them on.
"We're really good, yin and yang, I do the pom poms and jumping around and he's this really calm presence next to me," said Tuminez.
The Wolverines will take on the University of Alabama-Birmingham in the semifinals of the NIT on Tuesday, March 28th. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
Tuminez tells FOX 13 News she is making the trip to Las Vegas to cheer on the team, but only bringing one set of her pom poms for the game.
