The competition season for the Green Level Cheer team has begun, with their debut on the mat scheduled for 10:36am on Saturday, November 8th, at Dorton Arena in Raleigh. This competition is the UCA (Universal Cheerleaders Association) Triangle Regional, the first opportunity for teams to showcase their work.
The Gators began preparing for this competition in August. Months of practicing have been put into this routine, attempting to find the perfect counts, motions, and energy to surpass their competition. Many believe that these athletes just cheer for the football and basketball teams, when in reality, they have an entire season ranging from August to February, including up to five intense competitions.
“This team has put in so many hours and so much effort into all of these practices. Saturday isn’t about perfection, it’s about showing how far we’ve come and what this program is capable of,” explains Head Coach Samantha Sopko.
The Gators will be competing in three different divisions. These consist of Junior Varsity Intermediate, Large Varsity Game Day, and Medium Varsity. Both the JV Intermediate and Medium Varsity are traditional routines. These consist of 2 and a half minutes of constant athleticism, including a sequence of jumps, ‘elite partner stunt’ and second stunt, an intricate pyramid, and a tumbling section.
This is only the second year of the Game Day Routine. This is an exciting performance where cheerleaders are able to really express themselves, showcasing their energy and liveliness. Cheerleaders compete with a cheer, a band dance, and a fight song, the main goal to really engage the audience and strike the crowd with their production.
“I’m really excited to be back on the mat competing. We have had a lot of injuries and hurdles to overcome, especially these past few weeks leading up to competition, but I think we’ve shown our resilience and talent just by reworking the routine. I definitely think we’re ready for this competition,” said Sophomore Captain Anna Lee.
The Gators hope this competition will bring confidence, experience, and momentum into future events. The largest goal of this competition is to earn the team a bid to compete at a national level come February in Florida.
