Francesca Surace '25
Over the weekend of February 10, Fontbonne’s Junior Varsity and Varsity cheer teams traveled to Florida to compete in UCA’s Cheerleading Nationals. After both teams earned a bid back at regionals in December, we used the past two months to perfect both our traditional and game-day routines. Accompanied by our coaches and chaperones, the competition we had been working towards was finally here.
For most girls on Junior Varsity, this was their first Nationals. Not only was this an incredible opportunity for us to showcase all the work we had done, it was also an opportunity to prove to ourselves that we deserved the chance to compete. This was also a great way to represent our school and show Fontbonne in a positive light.
After arriving late Thursday night, Varsity had to prepare to compete the next morning. They arrived at the ESPN Sports Complex and killed their traditional routine. However, JV essentially had the entire day to prepare for the strenuous weekend ahead, and spent it doing other activities with their team. It was an amazing bonding experience for our Bonnies. The chance to travel out of state with a team is so rare, so this experience was one that really brought us together and created friendships that were not previously there.
Later Friday night, both JV and Varsity competed in the Game Day routine and received the results. JV was scheduled to compete late Saturday night, giving both teams a chance to visit the parks during the day. That night Junior Varsity returned to the ESPN Sports Complex to perform their traditional routine. After their performance, they received their results of making it to the FINALS! This meant they would be back the next morning to compete one final time. Although they did not win, they still placed 6th in the nation, a huge accomplishment for the girls.
This opportunity was one I’m sure none of us will ever forget. Personally, I never knew how much love and joy you could gain from being part of a team until this trip. Soon we will begin our practices and clinics before the start of our new cheer season. We are eager to for the new 2023-2024 competition season and hopefully return to Nationals.
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