Adorned in purple and gold sequined halters and toting pompoms, the Tiger Girls dance in rhythm to the music blaring in the PMAC to entertain crowds of thousands. Come January, they’ll be dancing in a different arena and for a national audience.Dancing to “Lux Aeterna,” the Tiger Girls, founded by Pauline Zernott about 10 years ago, have received a full-paid bid to compete in a national three-day competition beginning Jan. 16 — a bid Zernott estimated is worth about $500 per dancer. Christina Caporella, a team co-captain, said this competition as well as the team’s talent, determination and camaraderie set this year’s team apart from past teams.”[The camaraderie] is just one of the things that I love about this team,” Caporella said.Though the team has placed competitively in past years, Caporella said she expects it to     excel this year.”It’s almost like the cards are just setting up for us,” she said. “We’re moreso excited … than nervous.”Denise Dicharry, former Tiger Girl and the team’s head coach, called this year’s group of 18 “the most talented [it] has ever been.”The purpose of the team is to promote University athletics with their main focus being basketball, Dicharry said. The team is requested to perform at 30 to 40 home basketball games this year with about 14 members performing at each event.Dicharry said the team participates in a summer camp each year hosted by Varsity, the same entity hosting the annual competition. At the end of the camp, each team planning to compete at nationals is asked to submit a videotape of their routine.The teams are ranked first through fortieth. Teams ranked first through fifth receive a full-paid bid. The Tiger Girls were ranked fourth, Dicharry said.Dicharry said the team will be competing against other Division I-A schools including the University of Alabama and Auburn University. “If there’s any year that we’ve definitely been set up [it’s] this year,” Dicharry said.  The team has not received a bid in at least three years, Zernott said, calling the competition “very subjective.” Ashley Geig, a fourth-year Tiger Girl and a team co-captain, said the team will start practicing five hours daily after finals.”It gets overwhelming at times, but it’s worth it when you’re out on the floor doing a dance with 17 of your best friends,” Geig said. Dicharry said prospective team members are required to try out at annual auditions, usually in April.—-Contact Lindsey Meaux at [email protected]