Starkville’s varsity cheerleading team went to the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship, which was held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida, for the second time in back-to-back years, and this time the squad came home with some hardware.
Competing against 21 other teams from across the country in the Gameday Division the team captured its first-ever podium finish and was awarded a bronze medal for third place – an improvement from last year’s fourth-place finish.
“I am so proud of the routines that we put on the mat this week and the work ethic and determination shown by this team,” Starkville head cheer coach Riesa Blackwell said in a release. “Nationals is an experience that is physically draining and requires so much perseverance to continue to do well each day. We spent late nights going over feedback from judges and making small changes that make a big difference on the score sheet, which helped us continue to advance.”
The Yellow Jackets also competed in the Traditional Division in the event against 41 other programs and earned sixth place – a leap up from last year’s 15th-place finish.
“All season, we have talked about what it takes to give us that extra push to be in contention to medal, and meeting that goal was such a moment of pride,” Blackwell said. “I am most proud of how our team represented Starkville and the district off the mat throughout not only this competition, but the entire season. This team gets along better than any team I have ever had the pleasure of coaching. They are respectful and responsible and understand that they are representing their school and their community in how they carry themselves.”
Blackwell added they couldn’t have reached a new program high without the support from those back at home.
“We had so many people reaching out on social media and watching from Varsity TV or Facebook Live,” she said. “A few elementary classrooms sent us good luck videos, and we felt like so many people were invested in how we did each round. I really think that pushed the girls to do even better.”
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