The Ozark High School Cheerleading teams attained a new level of success at the Universal Cheerleaders Association’s (UCA) High School Nationals competition in Orlando, Fla., held from Feb. 6 through Feb. 8. Megan Adams, varsity cheer assistant coach at Ozark High School, described the competition as a “major milestone” for the program.
“At the UCA High School Nationals, teams from Ozark High School delivered a historic performance,” she said. “Our JV teams placed third in both JV NT Game Day and JV NT Traditional, bringing home the program’s first-ever national medals. Coed Varsity also had a strong showing, placing 6th in Coed NT Traditional and 7th in Coed NT Game Day. This competition marked a major milestone for our program, as it was the first year all four of our teams advanced to finals — a huge accomplishment at the national level and a testament to the athletes’ hard work and dedication.”
Adams added that the significance of the teams’ achievements at nationals could not be overstated.
“The UCA High School Nationals is one of the most competitive high school cheerleading championships in the country, bringing together top teams from across the nation to compete in multiple divisions and categories,” she said. “The event includes traditional routines, which highlight stunting, pyramids, tumbling, and overall execution, as well as Game Day routines, which focus on crowd-leading, school spirit, situational sidelines, band chants, and timeout performances.
“Teams compete in a preliminary round with the goal of advancing to finals, where scores reset and national champions are determined. The atmosphere is fast-paced and high-energy, with teams performing back-to-back throughout the day in front of large crowds and national-level judges.”
Success comes with hard work and practice:
Training for national competition began in April, Adams said, and involved both mental and physical preparation, as well as performances that essentially served as practice for national championships.
“Our athletes practice four days a week, focusing on repetition, endurance, and performance quality,” Adams said. “We spend time watching film to evaluate execution and make corrections, and we travel to qualifying competitions throughout the season to receive judge feedback that helps us continue improving. In addition, we perform at local showcases to gain performance experience in front of crowds and build confidence leading into the national championship.”
Asiah Zendejas, 17, who is part of the main base on the varsity team, attributed the Ozark Cheer’s success to the discipline they demonstrated while training.
“At the end of the day, it comes down to discipline and conditioning,” she said. “Even if it’s not what you want, you have to be able to train your body to be able to do multiple routines a day, sometimes even back-to-back. When it comes to preparing for a competition, personally, it’s important that when warming up skills, they smack to the best of your ability, because you’re only (putting) these skills all together for 2 (and-a-half) minutes. You have to put (in) effort before, during and after.”
Olivia Adamson, 14, a backs spot, described the routines the JV team used at competition.
“We took two routines to competition,” she said. “One was Gameday which is about a (two-and-a-half minute) crowd leading routine and is more of what many people would picture when they think of school cheerleaders. It’s more about the hype, but also perfection; it includes a band chant, a sideline cheer, a school-oriented cheer and a fight song.
“Then the second routine we took was our traditional routine. It is a (two-and-a-half minute) routine that involves a school-oriented cheer, more complex stunting, jumps, dance, and a pyramid. Our coach, Bailey Miner, choreographed both routines.”
Adamson also said that by the time of competition, routines have usually been altered several times.
“Our routines at the beginning of the season are never the same ones we perform at competition,” she said. “This is because they are put together and then constantly changed almost weekly throughout the season to refine and perfect them into their full potential for competition.”
Confidence is a key part of performance:
While competition in front of thousands of people can be intimidating, Zendejas said she was able to concentrate and perform the routines confidently.
“I felt very prepared,” she said. “It’s very bright, so the atmosphere was a little different. On the first day, I was nervous, but when I focused on doing my job in each routine, it helped me focus and remember everything.”
Adamson agreed.
“Competing at Nationals is a feeling unlike any other,” she said. “There’s so many emotions, from nerves backstage to excitement to take the mat and display all we’ve worked so hard on. But one thing that remains constant is our confidence in what we are doing, because we know the countless hours we have put in to position ourselves for success will be shown in our performance.”
Nationals offered plenty of fun experiences also:
It wasn’t all competition and no play in Orlando. Adamson said the team had plenty of time for recreation while at Nationals.
“Nationals offers many fun experiences that aren’t limited to cheer only,” she said. “For instance, we got to visit each Disney park, do some shopping at Disney springs, and even have a team pool party at Disney World’s All Star Music Resort that we were staying at for the week.”
Zendejas said that the team camaraderie was the best part of the trip for her.
“I feel like every time we traveled whether that be to Owasso, Nationals in Florida, or even MSU, us being together as a team and family was what made it fun,” she said. I have some of the best memories just being with my coaches and teammates. While Orlando was a business trip, it was a fun vacation at the same time.”
Cheer offers life lessons:
Beyond the competition, Adamson said that her participation in cheer has made an impact in her faith and has also given her life lessons she will carry with her past her cheerleader days.
“I would also like to mention the foundation of our team, which is God,” she said. “As a team, we do monthly devotionals in and outside of cheer, as well as pray before our full outs. We do it all for the Lord’s glory and as a whole we couldn’t have gotten as far as we did or made state history without God’s favor on us and putting him at the front and center of all we do.
“Last thing I would like to add is the great impact Ozark cheer has made on me. It has shaped my character and taught me things not just cheer-related but values and morals that I will carry with me my whole life, and I’m forever thankful.”
Zendejas said that she is also grateful for what cheer has given her, both in her spiritual walk and her character.
“Over this season my faith with the Lord has grown so much,” she said, “but at the end of the day we placed sixth and seventh because that’s what God had in store for us. I’m not one to dwell on what could’ve been because we can’t go back and change it, but I believe everything happens for a reason and that may never be something that me or my team understand. I put myself in other people’s shoes sometimes and realize how grateful I was to be able to have the opportunity to even be able to compete at nationals, and I wouldn’t take a single thing for granted.”
A view to the future:
Adams also said that the cheer program is looking to add a new component, starting later this year.
“We are always looking for ways to grow our program and achieve things we haven’t before,” she said. “One of the biggest steps forward is the addition of STUNT, which will be our first year offering the sport and makes us the first school in our district to introduce this new emerging opportunity. We’re excited to continue expanding opportunities for our athletes while also making a program transition to focusing on nationals as our primary competitive goal moving forward. Tryouts will begin in April as we start preparing to do it all over again at Ozark High School.”
