For the first time in Oak Hills history, the cheerleading team made it out of the city and went to Orlando, Florida, for a national competition! In Orlando, they competed against 54 teams for game-day and over 100 teams in traditional.

Compared to previous years, the cheerleaders increased their work ethic and started their intense training in the summer months with stunt professionals and tumbling clinics helping them learn & perfect their skills safely. Their routine was choreographed shortly after tryouts based on the team’s abilities. On top of this, they spent time in the weight room to make it easier to lift fliers & tumble. By the end of summer, the cheerleaders had bonded and created a common goal of getting to the highest level of competition. 

At the competition, the cheer teams competed against teams from all over the nation and met many boys & girls. Mia Martini, a Junior cheerleader at Oak Hills, explains, “When we stepped out onto that mat there were all these lights and rows of rows of people. You would see just the figures of the people because the rest of the room was dark, while the stage was the only thing lit. This competition was something most of us never experienced before because we are used to just competing locally at a school and with a crowd that’s ¼ of the size of the one in Disney.” 

In next year’s tryouts, Martini advises incoming cheerleaders not to get discouraged if they can’t jump as high or tumble as well as their teammates because everyone plays a role on the team, and everyone’s role is equally important. Even though the team didn’t compete to its standards in the preliminary rounds, it set new records to break for the future of its program, and its appearance at nationals was spectacular!