Our Central Hardin Cheer team competes in Orlando in Nationals every other year. This year, they were able to complete their final performance with zero deductions.

In order to even be considered for Nationals, the team must attend a three day camp over the summer with coaches from the Universal Cheerleading Association. The cheerleaders then had to attend a competition that determines if they qualify for Nationals. 

The team competed in Orlando, Florida at the Walt Disney World Resort on the weekend of Feb. 7. 

“The girls performed the best they have all season while we were at Nationals,” Cheer Coach Paige Wilson said. 

It takes a lot of practice to be able to perform well in these situations. 

“We practiced every day up until we left,” Junior Anna Hatfield said. “When we got down there, we practiced a little bit in the grass.”

Though they had some things they struggled with that caused them to lose minor points, the team did well overall where the points mattered the most. 

“Hitting a routine with zero deductions is not common,” Wilson said. “Our girls were able to perform high-level stunts and tumbling with no technical errors.” 

Competing in a national competition like this can be nerve-wracking for anyone, especially a team made up of mostly underclassmen. 

“The first one that we did, everybody was kind of nervous going out, so it was a little rocky,” Hatfield said. 

Though they were nervous, they put on a brave face for their performance. 

“Controlling their nerves is something else they did well,” Wilson said. “As a young team, this has been something we have struggled with all year long. I was really proud of the way they carried themselves and performed.”

The overall performance from our cheer team landed them at 15th out of the fifty teams in their division.