The team huddled into a circle with their heads down, took each other’s hands, and waited in a gym heavy in suspense and nervous anticipation for their school to be announced. The announcement that would confirm that all of the hard work, long practices, conditioning, and injuries were worth it. As the announcer’s voice came over the speaker proclaiming “and your 7A All Girl State Champion is Har-Ber High school”, the sounds of twenty-six high school cheerleaders jumping and screaming in excitement filled the arena.
“I tackled Jordan and girls jumped up and everyone was hugging each other. It was the most amazing feeling and something we could all be proud of, because we all worked so hard to get there and it finally paid off,” said senior Sarah Taylor.
The biggest competition the girls faced was North Little Rock High school, and after they were announced as State Runner-Up, the Lady Wildcats knew they were victorious. By winning State, the cheer team qualified to compete at UCA Nationals in Orlando, Florida on Feb. 4.
“We worked hard every day. We spend a lot of time videoing and reviewing our work. All team members are held accountable and work hard for the better of the whole team,” said Head Cheer Coach Jamie Bunting.
The team will be competing in the Super Varsity Division 1, the division for the largest schools with the most cheerleaders on the mat, and is training daily by conditioning and running routines over and over again, striving for perfection. This will be Bunting’s first trip to Nationals, and being one of the smaller teams in the division, she’s depending on the experience of other coaches.
“I am relying on coaches who have been there before to guide us through. We watched teams that did well last year and know what to expect, but I think it will be amazing,” said Bunting.
To continue their winning streak, the team hopes to finish in the finals and compete the way they did at the State competition. On a cheer squad, each member has a role that’s vital to the scoring, precision, and energy of the performance, and this ideal has helped the girls bond and achieve their success thus far.
“Every time we perform we think of someone in our head to dedicate that routine to. It’s just a selfless way to go into it, and when you win it’s just so much sweeter,” said Taylor.
The team expects to see other talented teams from much larger cities and areas. Each performance is approximately two minutes and thirty seconds, leaving little room for error.
“I get nervous, so I just have to go remind myself that we have done it a million times and we can do it again,” said junior Dotty Fries. “Being apart of a winning team is great. It brings us closer, because of what we have accomplished.”
According to Bunting, the team’s strongest part of their routine is their ability to bring energy and lead the crowd, and their main goal is to make finals. The girls will perform once on Feb. 7 and if they score high enough, they will compete in the finals on Feb. 8.
“I love my team to death. Just getting to be on the team was a blessing, but winning just put the cherry on top,” said sophomore Maggie Weber.
