Mr. Commodore is National Champ 4/4/03

Vanderbilt mascot “Mr. Commodore” won the national mascot championship April 3 at the National Cheerleading Association’s Cheer and Dance Collegiate Championships in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Mr. Commodore, played by Vanderbilt sophomore Meredith Baither, won out over a field of finalists that included Georgia Tech’s Buzz, Mississippi State’s Bulldog, Purdue’s Pete, Colorado’s Chip, the North Texas Eagle and the NYU Bobcat.

“The finalists were selected from an original video tape,” says Vanderbilt’s cheer squad advisor Pam Pearson. “The finalists each had to perform a 90-second skit and Mr. Commodore did ‘The Mad Scientist Making the Ultimate Team.’ Meredith did a tremendous job and won our school’s first mascot national championship.”

Baither, a Elementary Education and Natural Sciences double major from Toledo, Ohio, admits she was surprised to win the contest.

“I still can’t believe it,” she said a day later. “I watched the other mascots practicing and just hoped I could make the top four. I went into the competition relaxed, just wanting to have some fun, and I really think that made a big difference. The judges really seemed to like Mr. Commodore’s personality.”