ICC is in focus

For the last two years, Indiana Cheer Championship served as a warm-up for the Patriots.

This year, it is the focus.

Jay County High School’s cheerleaders will close out their competition season Saturday when they take the mat at 5:30 p.m. at the ICC State Finals at New Castle.

Traditionally, JCHS competition cheerleading had focused on the Indiana State Fair in August. That changed during the 2016-17 school year, when the squad instead decided to shoot for a Universal Cheerleaders Association national berth.

The Patriots have made occasional appearances in the Indiana Cheer Championship competitions over the years. And in the last two, ICC has primarily served as their warm-up for the UCA national qualifier — Hoosier Championship — which is contested later in November.

But for the 2018-19 school year, the JCHS competition squad passed on the state fair competition and will not be competing in the UCA circuit. It’s all about ICC.

The result has been a different approach as the Patriots prepared for last weekend’s state preliminaries at Greenfield-Central and Saturday’s state finals.

Coach Cheree McCallister said she’s seen her girls more focused in their work toward ICC while also being more relaxed because they know their competition season will not extend into February.

“That’s what’s pushing them and giving them that drive for this competition,” she added. “Last year it was more of a practice competition.”

“It’s definitely more serious,” agreed junior MaKenna Davis. “I feel like last year it was kind of like we were just getting used to being in front of a crowd. And this year it’s like we’re ready to compete.”

Jay County — it is competing this year in the Varsity C division after being in Varsity B last year because the school’s enrollment dropped below 1,000 — advanced to the state finals thanks to finishing fourth out of 16 squads during the ICC preliminaries. The top 10 squads earned a state berth.