The Bearden cheer team has not competed at the national level since 2015, but this year they are back and are ready to show everyone their best.
“I’m really ready to show everyone what we’ve been working on and show that we can do things other than just sidelines,” senior captain Ashlyn Hunter said.
The first round begins Friday in Orlando with the competition coming to a close with finals on Sunday.
“It says a lot about their character and determination, and their grit for the sport,” Coach Andrea Kuykendall said.
Making it to nationals is a huge feat for the team, but the girls are confident.
“We’re gonna go in super focused and super ready to be proud of what we’ve accomplished on the mat and throughout everything this year,” sophomore Emerson Berger said.
Coach Kuykendall came to Bearden when the seniors were freshmen. Since then, the team dynamic has significantly changed to get to where they are now.
“I think that the want to be here and the want to be the best is way more evident,” Coach Kuykendall said. “They want to be here [at nationals]. They want to do good.”
Added Hunter: “This is like the first year that we’ve had everything put in place and are able to do it, so we’ve just gone all in from there.”
Both Coach Kuykendall and the girls are ready to take on nationals and give it the best they have because they feel they have a lot to prove not just to themselves but to others.
“We’re ready to show everyone what Bearden cheer is all about,” she said.
The excitement for nationals is buzzing throughout the team with the girls ready to compete without regrets.
“We love what we do, and we are putting our hearts onto the mat every time we compete,” Berger said.