0
0
On Jan. 22, the NS cheer team went on to compete at 3A State Cheer. They had been preparing for this moment since March, and with all the pressure on their shoulders, they earned high scores and took second place.
“We may not have gotten first, but we got second,” senior cheerleader Mckinlee Roach said, “and how many teams would kill to get second in our school; we got second at state that’s pretty good and even though we didn’t win, I’m proud of my team and I’m proud of everyone.”
Last year, cheer did not place at state. This year, they took first at the Winter Classic, first at divisionals, and second at state. The team feels happy with the progress and accomplishments that have come with the season.
“Each competition was better than the last, and state was no different,” coach Stephanie Sorensen said. “They hit their stunts and delivered clean routines. They should have no regrets about what they put out there—I know I don’t. I hope they know how proud I am of them; I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”
The cheerleaders have had the opportunity to build friendships and grow throughout the season.
“State wasn’t the only time that cheerleaders bonded,” Roach said. “We did amazing at divisionals and region, that was super bonding for our team. We were already pretty close but now we were closer than we ever were.”
Even though these cheerleaders have been physically preparing for state since March, the hardest part for them is mentally keeping up with cheer while maintaining their other responsibilities.
“It’s hard to know how demanding the sport truly is,” Sorensen said. “These athletes practice at 6:30 in the morning, attend school all day, and cheer at other sports events in the evening. Many of them also juggle jobs, and they all maintain their grades—all while preparing for their own competitions. Unless you’ve experienced it firsthand, it’s hard to understand just how much they’re balancing.”
Keeping priorities in order is only one challenge for the cheerleaders, as it’s also mentally challenging to not let down their team.
“I feel like mentally it’s challenging,” senior cheer captain Braeleigh Austin said, “because of the pressure to try and get your tumbling and make your stunts hit for competition. It’s hard because you want to hit that for your team, and you want to do your best for your team, but it’s very stressful, and we always have so much stress during competition.”
The coaches notice the stress that these girls put themselves through, and admire their constant determination to persevere.
“This team has set high goals and worked so hard to achieve them,” Coach Sorensen said, “but it isn’t always easy. They’ve faced disappointment, especially when they haven’t been able to hit the skills they’ve wanted to.”
But at the end of the day for most of the team the best part about cheer isn’t winning—it’s bonding with people going through the same experience and gaining friendships.
“I was a loner in middle school,” Roach said. “I didn’t have any friends, but once I joined cheer, I got 30 more friends. I mean, it took a while to get to know people, but once I did, it was great.”
Despite the challenges and pressure, the team’s dedication and perseverance led them to a well-earned second-place finish at state. Beyond the competition, they bonded and proved their ability to balance hard work with personal growth.
