To cap off the incredibly successful season with Southside Competition Cheer, the Mavericks achieved their ultimate goal of returning the national championship title to Fort Smith on February 11. Competing in the Universal Cheer Association’s Varsity Coed Non-Tumbling Division I Game Day division, the Mavs proved their superiority over 25 other teams.
From the beginning of the season, the competition cheer team consistently put in the time and effort to prepare for the National Championship, including early morning practices and extra work on the weekends.
“We practiced extremely hard for months and ran many miles, building up our stamina to perform to the best of our abilities,” junior cheerleader Mallory Lacefield said.
The Mavs qualified at the state level through their fourth-place finish at the AAA Game Day State Championships to compete on the national stage. While this performance set the Mavericks up for the national competition, finishing in fourth served as a source of motivation to work even harder.
“State made the team realize as a whole the amount of work that we needed to put in to claim the national champion title,” junior Coen Browning said.
One of the most exciting parts of the nationals trip to Orlando, FL, is the opportunity to bond with teammates and make memories at the Walt Disney World Resort.
“I had such a great time at the parks and it was a great way to bond with my team before taking the mat,” sophomore Lyndi Brisendine said.
The preliminary round took place on the first day of the competition, February 9. The Mavericks took first place in this stage for a second consecutive year, advancing straight to the finals on Sunday.
“As a first-year member, I had never experienced the feeling of leading such a competitive division. It felt so rewarding to finally know our work was paying off,” senior Alivia Martin said.
The Mavs have competed in the UCA Championship competition for three years straight and have come close to the first-place prize times before. For the seniors on the team, the pressure was on to finally reach such a milestone in their final year.
“We had come so close to winning the past two years, and this was my last opportunity to prove that we were good enough to win the Nationals,” senior Grace Merle said.
The cheer team welcomed a new coach to their staff this season, as Coach Graham was absent due to maternity leave. This addition, Coach Cassidy Hodge, stepped up and continued to hold the team to high standards and lead them to their national title.
“I absolutely expected this team to win this year! We just needed to ensure that everyone stayed healthy, focused, and that there were no room for mistakes,” Coach Hodge said.
This historic win allows for the building of a legacy within the Southside cheer program and Southside High School overall for the years to come. To top off their first-place ranking, the Mavs put up the highest score of anyone competing in their division for the entirety of the competition, a 98. Despite the tough losses in the past years at Nationals, this year’s win made the process all worthwhile.
“All of our hard work had finally paid off. Winning this year made all of the past years make sense. It was all in God’s plan, and He knew that we had to lose before we could win a national championship,” junior Addi Weatherford said.
