Cheerleaders take long victory lap back from Nationals

By: Skylar Starbeck

Over spring break, Cedar Falls competitive cheer team took on Nationals in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Here they looked to compete against teams who were from all around the country.

The Tigers competed in the largest division comprised of teams with 20 to 36 girls each. The Tigers had a total of 21 girls competing in Myrtle Beach to chase for the title. For the girls’ first performance, they impressed everyone by hitting zero deductions after hitting every stunt and criteria.

Senior captain Kennedy Kiley was especially thrilled with her team’s performance. “It was a huge accomplishment for our team and especially to end the season on a high note.”

The Tigers received a third place finish, pleased with the result and a victory bus ride home.

That victory lap turned bumpy after their bus broke down due to the air pressure in the bus, which would eventually lead to bus’s brakes not working. The girls sat in the bus for six hours waiting for the arrival of their replacement bus.

However, six hours would not just be the end of their waiting. The cheerleaders waited at a local county courthouse on a school bus provided by police officials. There at the courthouse, eight hours passed by until the new bus arrived. In the mean time, some of the girls and their parents got rental cars and continued on their journey. The craziness continued when the final journey time concluded after 36 hours; the original time was supposed to be 18 hours.

Finally reaching Cedar Falls, the exhausted cheerleaders arrived early morning Monday following spring break.

Kiley stated, “This whole trip gave our team one last time to perform together. It was a great building experience, and as a senior, I could not ask for anything else.”