Cheerleaders dream of going to state year after year. After all their hard work and dedication, the Varsity cheerleaders made it to state, and placed second out of almost 70  in the state, on January 4-6, at the Fort Worth Convention Center.

Competing at state is an exciting experience for any team, and one this group is familiar with.

“I have competed at state with my team for the past three years, so going to state was not a new experience,”  senior Madison Mahoney ‘24 said. “But every year is something new because it’s a new experience and new routine, so it’s always an exciting experience.”

(Courtesy of Varsity Cheer)

Junior Calista Pollinger ‘25 remained confident in her team’s abilities and bond before, during, and after state.

  “I think not only winning but ups and downs bring us together through adversity, and tough times were able to strengthen our bonds with each other,” she said.

Despite initial doubts, the team’s performance earned them a spot in the top three teams in the state. 

“At the beginning, I knew we were going to make finals, and I knew we were going to place up there, but I didn’t think we were going to get second,” Pollinger said.

(Courtesy of Varsity Cheer)

Announcing the winners can be a very nerve-wracking experience for any sport. Each of the cheerleaders were nervous in their own way.

“Leading up to it, I was really nervous, and I was happy with the team we put on the floor, so either way I was still gonna be proud of us, but I was nervous to see where we placed,” Pollinger said. “There was a lot of anticipation leading up to it. There was relief knowing that I was finally there and our hard work was paying off and showing.”

After the competition concluded, the atmosphere between teammates remained light-hearted. 

“When you’re riding that high, everybody is so much closer because all that hard work finally paid off, and we did this for a reason,” Mahoney said.

Their journey does not end here, though. The cheer team will soon be attending UCA nationals in nationals. Cheerleaders say preparing for nationals is time-consuming and takes a lot of hard work.

“We are just building off what we did at state,” Mahoney said. “We are continuing to have practice to build on what we did at state and apply them for nationals.”

(Courtesy of Varsity Cheer)

The future of nationals depends on the cheerleaders’ spirits and confidence.

“I think [the win] puts confidence behind the team that if we could place at State against such incredible teams, that we do have a chance to place at nationals,” Mahoney said.

They hope to seize their moment at nationals like they did at state and continue their winning streak.

“It’s kind of like a rush of adrenaline. The lights are on you, and the crowd is yelling back at you, and your teammates are yelling at you,” Mahoney said. “It’s a really exciting moment just to be out there.”

(Corrections: there were 70 teams competing for state! not 20. They are going to UCA nationals!)