Cheerleading places second at nationals 

After a full year of intense training and practice, the Saint Joseph’s University cheer squad took second place in their division at the 2017 Collegiate Nationals in Daytona Beach, Fl., on April 7.

The team left for Florida on April 5, feeling extremely prepared, according to Head Coach Lauren Hanos. The team had been practicing since the beginning of the school year and choreographing and polishing their final routine since January 2017.

Many of the squad members also had family members who travelled along with them, which helped keep up morale, according to Hanos. In addition, support from students and cheer alumni on social media helped keep the team grounded and focused.

“It was a nice support system,” said senior and team captain Georgie Streb, whose family had joined her in travelling to the competition.

The preliminary rounds began on April 6 consisting of 12 teams from across the country. In this round, teams were judged based on their tumbling, stunting and pyramid skills, along with their overall performance. For the St. Joe’s squad, this round was completed outdoors in a bandshell on the beach.

While the location provided a beautiful view, the weather gave the team a minor challenge to overcome. It was a warm, windy day, so concentration was crucial.

“[Wind] throws you at first,” Hanossaid, “But once you get into it, you don’t even notice.”

Before even making it to the bandshell, each team had a total of 24 minutes to warm up: eight minutes of stretching, eight minutes of tumbling and eight minutes of floor practice. To prepare for such limitations, the Hawks  started putting their routine together roughly three months in advance, which allowed them a significant advantage knowing what kinds of moves were in the routine, the team was able to figure out how best to quickly warm-up in order to succeed on the floor.

By the end of the first day, St. Joe’s had made it to third place with a score of 89.55 points out of 100 total, meaning they were one of the top six teams that would advance to the  final round on April 7.

“Overall, I think everyone had a great performance,” Streb said.

Once the competition had ended for the day, the team gathered together for dinner to relax and reflect on their performance, discussing what they could do better for the next round.

The team began finals the next day with a clean score sheet, stepping up their game from the day before and scoring 90.3 out of 100 points and moving up to second place just behind Stephen F. Austin State University, who took first with 91.87 points.

Such close scores are typical at national competitions, and sometimes teams are separated by hundredths of a point, according to Hanos, which increases the already- present tension significantly.

“Every single stunt, every single flip, everything counts,” Hanos said. “Pressure is high.”

In the meantime between performances, the team would do their best to alleviate that pressure by relaxing as much as  possible and participating in squad traditions, like remembering the best practice moments and taking time to have meals together.

“I was extremely impressed with their composure,” Hanos said, who remarked that the six freshmen on the team were especially impressive in terms of staying calm, in addition to the rest of the girls.

Their ability to keep grounded and move forward helped the squad push themselves to perform “nearly perfect routines back-to-back,” according to Hanos.

The team was also especially close with each other this year, which Hanos said definitely helped them in their performances. Cheerleading can be a dangerous sport, and having a tight-knit group who trust each other is crucial to a successful performance.

Ultimately, however, the squad competes not for the shiny trophies or the recognition, but for the fulfillment of doing what they love to do.

“That’s what we do this for,” Hanos said. “It’s about going out there and doing our best.”