Viral Meme of Villanova Piccolo Player Turns out to be a Photoshop Fake

During the 2015 March Madness tournament, the Villanova Wildcats suffered a huge upset when they [...]

By Hannah Barnes

During the 2015 March Madness tournament, the Villanova Wildcats suffered a huge upset when they lost to North Carolina State, preventing the team from making it to the Sweet Sixteen and inspiring a hugely viral meme thanks to Wildcats pep band member Roxanne Chalifoux.

Chalifoux, who was then a senior, was caught by cameras crying as she played her piccolo after the team's loss, instantly going viral on social media, with users making meme upon meme based on the moment.

On Monday night, Villanova claimed the ultimate victory when they became national champions after defeating Michigan during the NCAA finals game, 79-62.

At some point during the evening, a photo began making its way around the internet of Chalifoux playing her piccolo happily, with the overlay on the screen appearing to suggest that she was doing so at the championship game.

Alas, the photo was photoshopped, as Chalifoux was not playing with the pep band on Monday.

Villanova previously won the tournament in 2016, though Chalifoux was not in the band at the time, as she had graduated the previous year. Still, she made sure to watch her team's big win.

"I went to the national championship in Houston and watched them beat North Carolina," she told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in March. "It was certainly another memory I'll treasure forever!"

After going viral, Chalifoux, who is now in her third year of optometry school at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University, did something most college seniors could only dream of, sitting in with The Roots on an episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

"The best part was living in the moment and doing something that was truly 'once in a lifetime,'" she recalled of the invitation. "I'll never forget the experience, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to create such an outstanding memory."

As for whether she ever searches for her viral video, Chalifoux doesn't exactly need a refresher.

"I never watch clips of myself," she said. "Living it was enough for me!"

Photo Credit: Twitter / @darrenrovell

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