Houstonist interviewed the darling of the Bayou City last week, Taucha Hogue, as she was in the quarterfinals for the College Cheerleader of Year Award. Now, after a convincing win over Mississippi St., Taucha has advanced into the Final Four against Kansas. Houstonist will continue to follow Taucha as she looks to capture the coveted crown as Cheerleader of the Year.

Congrats on moving on to the Final Four. Do you find yourself doing any rituals to keep the momentum going?

First, let me start off by saying thank you. This competition is such an exciting experience and with the tremendous support from my family, friends and many others, it makes it quite easy to keep the momentum going.

UH plays Arizona on Saturday on ESPN2 at 2 pm; any chance your fans will see anything special prepared for the Vote for Taucha campaign?

The Cougar Band had created a shirt for the last basketball game reading, "U of H, Vote for Taucha!", which was really exciting to see, because it not only showed the amount of support they have for me, but also the amount of pride they have in their school. The shirt should be making another appearance at the Arizona game this Saturday.

From the buzz around local message boards, people can't get enough of Taucha Hogue. Any chance of trying out for the Texans, Rockets or Dynamo cheerleaders in the near future?

There is definitely a possibility of trying out for a professional team in the future. I would like to finish my undergraduate degree before taking this next step.

Besides Houstonist.com, have you done any other local gigs to spread the Vote for Taucha campaign?

Yes, I have appeared on a few radio shows including, 94.5 The Buzz - Rod Ryan Show, 790 AM The Sports Animal and 1560 AM The Game. It has been a pleasure having the opportunity to work with various radio stations and web sites to promote the competition.

Taucha, what's the best part of being a University of Houston Cougar Doll?

The best part of being a Cougar Doll is being able to use our energy and enthusiasm to get the student body and alumni involved in the action of the game. I love living that excitement every game.

Taucha, is anything you'd like to say to all your Houstonist.com fans?

I would like to thank everyone for their tremendous support, which has enabled my progression into the final four of this competition. It is so amazing to be apart of the University of Houston and to be a gateway for others in our community and around the nation to see the pride we have as U of H Cougars. I really appreciate all of the love and support and I hope you all will keep voting!

Houstonist fans can do their part to help Taucha Hogue advance into the championship round by voting here: College Cheerleader of the Year. Voting for this round ends on Monday, January 14 at 11 a.m.