Sharks Weekly: New Leadership, Championship Tradition Drive HPU Stunt and Cheer Forward

Hawai‘i Pacific University’s stunt and cheer programs are entering a new chapter under first-year head coach Vraunwyn Denny, who brings more than 26 years of coaching experience and a championship pedigree to a program with a rich history of national success.

Denny joined Sharks Weekly alongside fourth-year student-athletes Natalie Denney and Ryan Stawski to discuss her return to Hawai‘i, the differences between competitive cheerleading and stunt, and the importance of trust, teamwork and building a foundation for sustained success.

For Denny, taking over the Sharks represents a homecoming more than two decades in the making. A Pearl City High School graduate who began her college education at HPU, Denny spent much of her coaching career in Southern California, including nearly 20 years at Marina High School, where her teams captured multiple championships, including two UCA High School National Championships.

Returning to HPU has brought her journey full circle.

“I feel like it’s a full circle and I’m where I’m supposed to be,” Denny said. “Now being a part of HPU and this community is just where I wanna be. It feels right.”

Her coaching philosophy centers on communication, positivity and understanding each athlete as an individual. Rather than immediately pushing advanced skills, Denny has emphasized mastering fundamentals and establishing consistent techniques across a relatively young roster.

Denney, who competes in both stunt and cheer, said that approach has helped the team adjust to new leadership.

“Coach Denny really cares about us as athletes,” Denney said, noting that the team spent considerable time developing basic skills and building a stronger foundation before progressing to more difficult routines.

While the two programs share many athletic elements, Denny explained that their competitive formats present different challenges.

Traditional competitive cheerleading features a two-and-a-half-minute routine combining tumbling, stunts, pyramids and performance. Stunt, meanwhile, is a head-to-head competition emphasizing technical precision, with teams executing standardized routines and skills.

Denney compared preparing for cheerleading to putting on a show, while describing stunt as a more technical and physically demanding competition that requires sustained concentration.

For Stawski, who grew up in Michigan and previously competed in gymnastics and pole vaulting, the transition into a leadership role has meant helping younger teammates navigate both the athletic and academic demands of college.

Now in his fourth year with HPU Cheer, Stawski hopes to serve as someone teammates can approach for guidance, whether it involves training, school or adjusting to life in Hawai‘i.

That sense of responsibility extends directly into competition, where athletes must trust one another while performing physically demanding skills.

Both student-athletes also addressed misconceptions surrounding cheerleading, particularly the tendency to view participants primarily as sideline performers rather than competitive athletes.

Stawski emphasized that while cheerleaders support other athletic programs, they also compete independently, an aspect of the sport he believes is frequently overlooked.

As Denny looks toward her first competitive season leading the Sharks, she hopes to honor HPU’s established championship tradition while creating a culture rooted in accountability, confidence and continuous improvement.

“We’re here to build our foundation and create our culture as a program, and then to go out and win our championships,” Denny said. “But we win them in the gym, not just at the competition.”

For the new head coach and her veteran student-athletes, the goal extends beyond winning titles. It’s about building an environment where future Sharks can develop as athletes, students and individuals while continuing HPU’s tradition of competitive excellence.

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