I wouldn’t have been able to tell you what success felt like until this moment, the moment where my team and I took on the mat at the regional championship in Bel Air, Maryland. As we stepped foot onto the mat, parallel to the judges, loud music and screams roared throughout the arena. The eyes and cameras of many followed us as we took position to begin our routine. “1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 cards,” filled to the brim with adrenaline, my team and I are ready and hungry for the crown.

I am one of the 9 athletes who represent Crofton’s varsity cheer team. I can’t begin to describe the level of dedication and sacrifices we put into this season. Each and everyone of us pour our hearts into what we love everyday. Despite the challenges we face as a team and as individuals we have a mutual goal and as a unit we will plan to make it to the top. There are plenty of times we have thought about giving up but every time we hit the ground we get right back and keep pushing no matter what is going on or what’s happening or how we feel. This really is my happy place, being on the mat I knew that this is where I belonged. 

On Saturday, November 5th, Crofton high school’s 2 year cheer program won first place at the regional championships and received the second highest peak score in the whole state. The feeling of finishing our routine with no errors or deductions is truly incredible, a true reflection of the hard practices we had in the past. That feeling still resonates with me and I look forward to what we will bring to the table this winter. The 9 athletes who brought home the titles for this fall have worked incredibly hard for their victories and we are only going up from here.