April 05, 2016
In today's social media realm, memes rule the world.
For Villanova, the lasting memory of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament was the shot of a piccolo player tearfully playing her instrument after a disappointing loss during the first weekend. "Crying Piccolo Girl" was born.
"Piccolo Girl," aka Roxanne Chalifoux, made the rounds on television, appearing on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" and jamming with The Roots.
Eventually, she faded from the spotlight and returned to a normal life...until the next tournament.
After dominating its first five games, Villanova had a chance to win a national championship Monday night. More importantly, the team had a chance to erase the memory of a crying band member.
When Kris Jenkins hit a buzzer-beating shot to lift the Wildcats over North Carolina, no one was happier than "Piccolo Girl." Chalifoux tweeted, "oh what a difference a year makes."
oh what a difference a year makes✌️ pic.twitter.com/ata7RCkNjL
— Roxanne Chalifoux (@roxiechalifoxie) April 5, 2016
USA Today caught up with "Piccolo Girl" before the game via email:
"It has been so exciting to watch Villanova this year!" Chalifoux wrote. "Even though I'm no longer a college student, I've loved watching the team this year. Watching them beat Kansas was one of my favorite games this year."
After becoming the face of a heartbreaking loss, "Piccolo Girl" knew exactly how to celebrate and offered North Carolina a face to remember the Tar Heels' defeat:
the creativity of people is amazing pic.twitter.com/mGhtFUklAA
— Roxanne Chalifoux (@roxiechalifoxie) April 5, 2016
Long live, "Crying Michael Jordan."
