Competitive World of Cheer:
Where Limits Are Pushed and Champions are Crowned
Sasha Bush
The Ashland Beacon
In the world of competitive cheer, victory is earned through dedication, perseverance, and sheer determination. Athletes push themselves to the limit, striving for perfection with every practice and performance. When they take the mat, they leave everything on the floor, knowing that win or lose, they've given it their all. Recently several local teams had the privilege of competing in the UCA Cheer Nationals Competition. Let’s take a look at how they did…
The Ashland Varsity cheerleading squad recently competed in the UCA Cheer Nationals Competition that was held on Feb. 9-12 at Walt Disney World Resort. This team certainly put on quite a show, and it was obvious that they came to compete. Round after round this talented team of spirited girls showed everyone what it means to be a Pomcat. Going into Saturday’s performances, Ashland Cheer was sitting comfy in second place in their division. In the end, they finished the competition as Quarterfinalists, which is something to be very proud of in a sport that is so highly competitive.
Amanda Lewis Gillum shared, “Nationals season has come to an end. The amount of emotions I have felt this weekend has been unreal. To watch this team of mine compete on the big stage and kill it is something that only a coach who loves their athletes can feel. Watching your athletes succeed…there is truly nothing like it. Did we make it to finals this weekend? Nope, but they sure gave their absolute best and that is all I can ask for. I am so absolutely proud of them. This team has for sure checked off so many goals this year, and we aren’t done yet. To my seniors, it may have been your last, but you certainly made an impact and helped this team set the bar for next year. I am not ready to say our ‘see ya laters.’ To my whole team, the future is bright, and I love you so much!”
Ashland Middle School cheerleaders also competed at the UCA Nationals Competition. They finished the competition as semi-finalists with a zero-deduction performance. Mikayla Pennington, Coach of the AMS Middle School team shared, “I want to say how proud I am of my girls this year. They worked hard all season. From showcases, to practices, to game day, they always worked hard, and I am proud of them for that. At Nationals, I was so proud of how they performed. I thought they had their best performance when the lights were the brightest. Even though the outcome wasn’t what we had hoped for, I am still super proud of how they performed when it meant the most. This is a very talented group of girls, and I’m so excited to see what the future holds for them.”
Raceland-Worthington High School won the hearts of the audience with their compelling and riveting routine, as well as their trendy uniforms. They finished as semi-finalists coming in 20th out of 65th place. Misty Pack, Head Coach of the Raceland-Worthington cheer squad shared, “My girls gave it absolutely everything they had, and I could not be prouder of them. We received their highest scores since I’ve been coach. The amount of energy and enthusiasm they brought onto the mat and into the arena was amazing. Words can’t describe the feeling I had both times they came off the mat - they literally brought me to tears. While it would have been nice to advance to finals, I am so excited about where we are headed. We have such a great group of girls. We are losing four seniors, and they will be greatly missed, but we have a core group of underclassmen who are ready to continue the build.”
The world of competitive cheer is a vibrant and dynamic community where athleticism, artistry, and teamwork converge to create breathtaking performances. From local competitions to international championships, athletes from all walks of life come together to showcase their skills and passion for the sport. But ultimately, competitive cheer is a celebration of athleticism, teamwork, and passion—a world where dreams are chased, limits are pushed, and champions are crowned.