By: Ella Weathers Shield Editor, and Shield Staff
The NRCA cheerleaders finished up a successful competition season in January. With breathtaking routines and strong stunts, the girls competed at the local, state, and national levels to finish an amazing season. Over the course of this season, the girls faced many challenges and still finished strong.
“We have had four competitions this season. The first one was at Dorton Arena, and a lot of public schools went. The next one was at Liberty University, [and] that competition was with FCC,” junior cheerleader Avery Galligan said. FCC is the Fellowship of Christian Cheerleaders organization, and they host many of the competitions. “Nationals was in Florida, and then we had states. Both competitions were by FCC as well,” Galligan said.
During competitions, the cheerleaders came together to do fun activities to help the team mesh and perform better on the cheer mat. At Liberty University, there were several activities to do, and the cheer team spent some of their time hanging out and exploring the campus.
When they traveled to Florida at the beginning of January, the cheer team was near Disney World and many popular attractions. During their free time, they continued a long tradition of going to the popular Sugar Factory, a fun-themed restaurant and candy shop known for its celebrity visitors and sweet treats. The restaurant has a large menu full of creative burgers and fancy shakes.
“Florida was a way to get the team closer. I think we did well, and the competition helped. Our mindsets changed [as we matured] throughout the season, which was good,” Galligan said.
The last competition of the season was on Jan. 20, and that was the state championship.
“It was a great competition to end the season on, and everyone was happy. Everyone put in their final efforts, which was great. We placed first in Game Day and first in Advanced Varsity. We also got Grand Champions, which is first throughout the entire competition,” Galligan said.
The team worked hard this season, and NRCA is proud of them.
