March 19, 2012

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Hours before tip-off of the Kansas women's basketball NCAA Tournament game Sunday evening, the KU spirit squad and KU pep band found themselves in the right place at the right time. When they found a man stuck underneath a car, the spirit squad members rushed over to lift the vehicle and ultimately saved the man's life.

At about 5:15 p.m. Sunday, Kansas cheerleaders, dancers and band members headed out of their hotel lobby to load the bus that would transport them to the Jack Stephens Center down the road where the KU basketball team was taking on Nebraska in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. As they approached the bus, the group heard someone yelling a short distance away in the parking lot, asking for help. Without hesitation, the spirit squad dropped everything and ran over to a Cadillac sedan with its hood propped open.

As they reached the scene, KU's yell leaders and band members saw that a man was trapped underneath the car. Apparently the car had been propped up on a jack but the vehicle had rolled off the support beam trapping someone who had crawled underneath. It took nine spirit squad and band members to lift the car but once they did, the man who was pinned between the car and ground was able to crawl out. Covered in grease and blood, the gentleman was disoriented but otherwise ok.

KU's spirit squad and band became nothing less than heroes that evening but explained they only did what anyone in their position would have done. After the incident, everyone continued on their way to the Jayhawks' basketball game where they cheered KU to an exciting 57-49 victory over Nebraska.