The Pennridge Cheerleading team successfully made it to nationals this season. They left on Thursday, February 10, and came back Monday, February 14. There are 18 members of the cheer team and 10 on the competition team. All 10 competitors went to nationals. The event takes place in Walt Disney Resort, and the accommodations are at the Marriott Grande Vista. It has been in existence for over 40 years. The competition is the pinnacle of cheerleading competitions for high school cheerleaders across the U.S.

The team made many changes to help prepare for the competition this year. Lexie Stachel, a junior on the cheer team, says, “Our team had a lot of practices and workouts for days we did not have the gym. We redid our entire routine to fit the criteria and corrections given to us from other competitions. We changed our dance, cheer, sign work, and stunts.” The team qualified for Nationals by competing in the Regional Empire Competition held in New York. Stachel explains, “Teams need to fit a few requirements. The main requirement is first ‘fitting the break.’ This means that you can not have a large gap between the teams. If a team comes behind the team scoring above them by about five or more points, they do not fit the break and will not qualify for a bid. Each competition also has a certain number of bids per division.”

The cheerleaders practiced for about four hours a week, depending on their planned activities. Natalie Nace, a freshman, cheering for the first time on the team, is a base. She says she “loved learning all the roles on the cheer team but focused this year on being the main base.” The competition broke the team out of their comfort zone, they learned new skills, and they were prepared by the time the competition came. The cheerleading competition hosts over 2,100 performances across 32 states, making it somewhat hard for your team to place first or anywhere close.

Due to the coach’s hard work and the team’s determination, Pennridge’s team was definitely strengthened due to this competition season. Nace said, “I love my whole team, and going to Disney to compete did strengthen our team’s relationships, to be so close to each other for four days and nights straight will always bring people together, but we have been close all season, so it was a super fun time.” The trip cost about 550-1000 dollars each person, and the team is unsure if they will return next year. Whether they do or not, the experience that the group shared will stay with them throughout their cheer careers. The team is more bonded than ever, and they will keep the memories forever.