November 20, 2017 at 2:12 a.m.
Back to Orlando
JCHS cheerleaders earn national berth
Back to Orlando
PENDLETON — The Patriots are heading back to Orlando.
A year ago, the Jay County High School cheerleaders weren’t sure if they had what it took to earn a chance to compete at the national level.
This year, they knew exactly what was expected of them. And with a berth on the line Sunday, they executed.
Jay County easily surpassed the 70-point barrier — typically the cutoff for a berth in the Universal Cheerleaders Association nationals — scoring 75.85 to finish second in the medium varsity division at the Hoosier Championship at Pendleton Heights.
“It was definitely exhilarating,” said sophomore Kenna Kahlig, who was one of the first to burst from the mat in excitement when the Patriots’ national berth was confirmed. “It just all hit us at once.”
The Patriots, who earned the right to compete in the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship on Feb. 10 and 11, trailed only a dominant Silver Creek squad (89.2) in medium varsity (groups with between 13 and 16 cheerleaders).
The runner-up effort came just two weeks and a day after the Patriots were disappointed with their routine and finished outside the top five at the Indiana Cheer Championship.
The mood Sunday was decidedly different.
“It just goes to show the girls, we had one bad routine one time but that’s not who we are,” said Abby Champ, who co-coaches the squad along with Ashley Loucks. “That’s not our program.
“And the girls definitely proved that they can come back from one not-so-great routine.”
“That’s what we wanted,” agreed Loucks. “You could tell that they were genuinely happy to walk off the floor this week. … And I don’t think that they were genuinely happy to walk off the floor two weeks ago.
“They came out and did a really nice job today.”
The coaches said they saw some nerves on their girls’ faces shortly before they stepped onto the mat Sunday. But a few deep breaths and excellent early stunts changed the dynamic.
Breea Liette, Renee Omstead and Cheyenne Liette all hit the heel stretches that open the routine. And after the squad’s first stretch of tumbling and jumps, the same trio was in the air for a strong sequence that includes full up to a high V, Superman into a forward roll, cartwheel into an inversion and elevator up to a liberty.
“I feel like stunt sequence was so exhilarating,” said sophomore MaKenna Davis. “Everybody knew everybody hit …”
“ … and we were just all so excited,” said senior Nina McShane, finishing the thought. “It brought so much energy to the routine.”
“In the routine, when all the stunt sequence hits, that’s what drives me,” agreed sophomore Kenna Kahlig.
The Patriots brought energy in the cheer portion of their routine that had been absent two weeks earlier. And although they had one fall in the process, they refused to allow it to affect them.
Their jumps and tumbling stayed typically strong throughout, earning 16.2 out of a possible 20 points to trail Silver Creek by just 0.2 in that category. And the final pyramid, which sends Cheyenne Liette flipping forward and backward, was on the money as well.
“I feel like pyramid, it’s the end of the routine so obviously you’re going to be dead, but we were strong,” said Kahlig. “I feel like that’s the strongest we’ve ever been at the end of the routine.”
Jay County’s best score came as it earned 4.9 out of five points for “use of signs, poms or megaphones and motion technique.” That was part of its 29.2 out of a possible 40 for cheer, and the squad also picked up 32.5 out of a possible 45 for stunts.
The Patriots were more than three points ahead of third-place Lake Central, which was followed by NorthWood, Bloomington South and Whiteland.
“We had a tough division today — six teams deep, and all six advanced,” said Loucks, noting that Whiteland was 10th at nationals in medium varsity Division I last year. “So to walk out of here in second place … we’re pretty pumped.”
Jay County’s trip to nationals last season was its first since 1989. It advanced through the preliminary round and semifinals, finishing seventh in medium varsity Division II.
A year ago, the Jay County High School cheerleaders weren’t sure if they had what it took to earn a chance to compete at the national level.
This year, they knew exactly what was expected of them. And with a berth on the line Sunday, they executed.
Jay County easily surpassed the 70-point barrier — typically the cutoff for a berth in the Universal Cheerleaders Association nationals — scoring 75.85 to finish second in the medium varsity division at the Hoosier Championship at Pendleton Heights.
“It was definitely exhilarating,” said sophomore Kenna Kahlig, who was one of the first to burst from the mat in excitement when the Patriots’ national berth was confirmed. “It just all hit us at once.”
The Patriots, who earned the right to compete in the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship on Feb. 10 and 11, trailed only a dominant Silver Creek squad (89.2) in medium varsity (groups with between 13 and 16 cheerleaders).
The runner-up effort came just two weeks and a day after the Patriots were disappointed with their routine and finished outside the top five at the Indiana Cheer Championship.
The mood Sunday was decidedly different.
“It just goes to show the girls, we had one bad routine one time but that’s not who we are,” said Abby Champ, who co-coaches the squad along with Ashley Loucks. “That’s not our program.
“And the girls definitely proved that they can come back from one not-so-great routine.”
“That’s what we wanted,” agreed Loucks. “You could tell that they were genuinely happy to walk off the floor this week. … And I don’t think that they were genuinely happy to walk off the floor two weeks ago.
“They came out and did a really nice job today.”
The coaches said they saw some nerves on their girls’ faces shortly before they stepped onto the mat Sunday. But a few deep breaths and excellent early stunts changed the dynamic.
Breea Liette, Renee Omstead and Cheyenne Liette all hit the heel stretches that open the routine. And after the squad’s first stretch of tumbling and jumps, the same trio was in the air for a strong sequence that includes full up to a high V, Superman into a forward roll, cartwheel into an inversion and elevator up to a liberty.
“I feel like stunt sequence was so exhilarating,” said sophomore MaKenna Davis. “Everybody knew everybody hit …”
“ … and we were just all so excited,” said senior Nina McShane, finishing the thought. “It brought so much energy to the routine.”
“In the routine, when all the stunt sequence hits, that’s what drives me,” agreed sophomore Kenna Kahlig.
The Patriots brought energy in the cheer portion of their routine that had been absent two weeks earlier. And although they had one fall in the process, they refused to allow it to affect them.
Their jumps and tumbling stayed typically strong throughout, earning 16.2 out of a possible 20 points to trail Silver Creek by just 0.2 in that category. And the final pyramid, which sends Cheyenne Liette flipping forward and backward, was on the money as well.
“I feel like pyramid, it’s the end of the routine so obviously you’re going to be dead, but we were strong,” said Kahlig. “I feel like that’s the strongest we’ve ever been at the end of the routine.”
Jay County’s best score came as it earned 4.9 out of five points for “use of signs, poms or megaphones and motion technique.” That was part of its 29.2 out of a possible 40 for cheer, and the squad also picked up 32.5 out of a possible 45 for stunts.
The Patriots were more than three points ahead of third-place Lake Central, which was followed by NorthWood, Bloomington South and Whiteland.
“We had a tough division today — six teams deep, and all six advanced,” said Loucks, noting that Whiteland was 10th at nationals in medium varsity Division I last year. “So to walk out of here in second place … we’re pretty pumped.”
Jay County’s trip to nationals last season was its first since 1989. It advanced through the preliminary round and semifinals, finishing seventh in medium varsity Division II.
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