February 9, 2018 at 5:56 p.m.
Great expectations
Patriots seek to surpass last season’s success
Great expectations
Copyright 2018, The Commercial Review
All Rights Reserved
Expectations.
Other things are different about this year’s trip to nationals.
The roster has changed a bit.
The routine has been modified.
There have been some injuries.
But it’s those expectations that loom largest.
“Pressure’s on,” said senior Breea Liette.
Jay County High School’s cheerleaders are in Orlando, Florida, preparing to compete Saturday in the Universal Cheerleaders Association National High School Cheerleading Championship.
When the Patriots went a year ago, it was a new experience.
The school had not sent a squad to the event since the 1980s. Half of the 2016-17 group was made up of freshmen. No one knew what to expect.
After advancing through the preliminaries and semifinals to finish seventh last season, this year is a different story.
“We know that now when we go it’s not just, ‘Oh, let’s try to move on,’” said Liette. “Our goal is to get in that horseshoe (finals) and move on beyond what we did last year.
“Every time you go to something and it’s not a new experience, there’s always that pressure.”
“It is very different,” added junior Shelby Clark. “Last year we didn’t have pressure on us because it was our first time in 28 years.”
For the Patriots — the squad is largely the same after losing just one senior (Alexus Liette) to graduation and adding just one freshman (Abby Benter) — this weekend’s competition has been the focus since tryouts in April.
They passed on competing at the Indiana State Fair, which emphasizes different cheerleading skills, in favor of targeting a return trip to nationals. And after struggling at the Indiana Cheer Championship, they bounced back two weeks later in the Hoosier Championship at Pendleton Heights to earn a return trip to Orlando. Their score — 75.85 — easily cleared the 70-point qualifying threshold and placed them second to Silver Creek.
But there has been adversity since.
After Breea Liette missed the ICC competitions because of a sprained ankle, sophomore Calli Stigleman was out for several weeks following surgery. Senior Sydnee Lee is competing despite a dislocated rib. And junior Dara Grove pulled herself from the lineup in December because of a back injury.
With Grove out, the Patriots brought in alternate Julia McClung, a senior, and reworked their stunt groups.
They tried a variety of options before settling on sending Benter in the air in place of Grove, with sophomore Cheyenne Liette (top), sophomore Kenna Kahlig (main base), senior Makenna Daniels (secondary base) and McClung (back) as a new unit.
“That shows the versatility of our team that we can look at them and say, all right, ‘Benter, you’re our top girl,’” said JCHS co-coach Abby Champ. “They’ve come a long way.”
The routine has changed too, with Jay County adding four girls performing layouts alongside the pair of full twists from Breea Liette and sophomore Americus Milthaler during one of their tumbling sections. They’ve also changed their final pyramind that sends Cheyenne Liette flipping forward and backward from high in the air to the mat and back again.
And they’re hoping their cheer — “You can count on County” — will score big for them on the national stage at ESPN Wide World of Sports Fieldhouse.
“If we hit, I would be surprised if we don’t score, in our prelim group, one of the top three cheer scores,” said co-coach Ashley Loucks.
The Patriots departed Jay County after school Thursday and made the flight to Orlando this morning. Their UCA activities began with a cheerleading orientation and practice today.
They will be the final squad to compete in medium varsity Division II at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Announcements of results will follow, with one squad going directly to the finals and at least 50 percent of the field of 18 moving on the the semifinals.
Squads will return for the semifinal round at 7 p.m. Saturday, with at least half of that group moving on to finals at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Trying to put last year’s success, the coaches have had a message for their girls: “All we’re asking for is for you guys to be done with your routine, walk off the mat and know that that was the best that you could do and be so proud of that,” said Loucks.
But the goals of advancing to the finals again and improving on last year’s seventh-place finish — those expectations — are still out there.
“It would mean everything,” said Breea Liette. “Putting in as many hours as we all have. It’s hard on your body. It’s hard mentally. it’s hard to keep grades up. It wears you out.
“But when you get the benefit of what you worked for, it’s awesome.”
All Rights Reserved
Expectations.
Other things are different about this year’s trip to nationals.
The roster has changed a bit.
The routine has been modified.
There have been some injuries.
But it’s those expectations that loom largest.
“Pressure’s on,” said senior Breea Liette.
Jay County High School’s cheerleaders are in Orlando, Florida, preparing to compete Saturday in the Universal Cheerleaders Association National High School Cheerleading Championship.
When the Patriots went a year ago, it was a new experience.
The school had not sent a squad to the event since the 1980s. Half of the 2016-17 group was made up of freshmen. No one knew what to expect.
After advancing through the preliminaries and semifinals to finish seventh last season, this year is a different story.
“We know that now when we go it’s not just, ‘Oh, let’s try to move on,’” said Liette. “Our goal is to get in that horseshoe (finals) and move on beyond what we did last year.
“Every time you go to something and it’s not a new experience, there’s always that pressure.”
“It is very different,” added junior Shelby Clark. “Last year we didn’t have pressure on us because it was our first time in 28 years.”
For the Patriots — the squad is largely the same after losing just one senior (Alexus Liette) to graduation and adding just one freshman (Abby Benter) — this weekend’s competition has been the focus since tryouts in April.
They passed on competing at the Indiana State Fair, which emphasizes different cheerleading skills, in favor of targeting a return trip to nationals. And after struggling at the Indiana Cheer Championship, they bounced back two weeks later in the Hoosier Championship at Pendleton Heights to earn a return trip to Orlando. Their score — 75.85 — easily cleared the 70-point qualifying threshold and placed them second to Silver Creek.
But there has been adversity since.
After Breea Liette missed the ICC competitions because of a sprained ankle, sophomore Calli Stigleman was out for several weeks following surgery. Senior Sydnee Lee is competing despite a dislocated rib. And junior Dara Grove pulled herself from the lineup in December because of a back injury.
With Grove out, the Patriots brought in alternate Julia McClung, a senior, and reworked their stunt groups.
They tried a variety of options before settling on sending Benter in the air in place of Grove, with sophomore Cheyenne Liette (top), sophomore Kenna Kahlig (main base), senior Makenna Daniels (secondary base) and McClung (back) as a new unit.
“That shows the versatility of our team that we can look at them and say, all right, ‘Benter, you’re our top girl,’” said JCHS co-coach Abby Champ. “They’ve come a long way.”
The routine has changed too, with Jay County adding four girls performing layouts alongside the pair of full twists from Breea Liette and sophomore Americus Milthaler during one of their tumbling sections. They’ve also changed their final pyramind that sends Cheyenne Liette flipping forward and backward from high in the air to the mat and back again.
And they’re hoping their cheer — “You can count on County” — will score big for them on the national stage at ESPN Wide World of Sports Fieldhouse.
“If we hit, I would be surprised if we don’t score, in our prelim group, one of the top three cheer scores,” said co-coach Ashley Loucks.
The Patriots departed Jay County after school Thursday and made the flight to Orlando this morning. Their UCA activities began with a cheerleading orientation and practice today.
They will be the final squad to compete in medium varsity Division II at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Announcements of results will follow, with one squad going directly to the finals and at least 50 percent of the field of 18 moving on the the semifinals.
Squads will return for the semifinal round at 7 p.m. Saturday, with at least half of that group moving on to finals at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Trying to put last year’s success, the coaches have had a message for their girls: “All we’re asking for is for you guys to be done with your routine, walk off the mat and know that that was the best that you could do and be so proud of that,” said Loucks.
But the goals of advancing to the finals again and improving on last year’s seventh-place finish — those expectations — are still out there.
“It would mean everything,” said Breea Liette. “Putting in as many hours as we all have. It’s hard on your body. It’s hard mentally. it’s hard to keep grades up. It wears you out.
“But when you get the benefit of what you worked for, it’s awesome.”
Top Stories
9/11 NEVER FORGET Mobile Exhibit
Chartwells marketing
September 17, 2024 7:36 a.m.
Events
250 X 250 AD