Nyah McKinney
Co-Editor-In-Chief
WOHS Cheer secures a ticket to Florida for Nationals 2025
The heart and spirit of West Orange sports earned a bid to the 2025 National High School Cheerleading Competition (NHSCC) held at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The team will compete February 7-10th. The send-off is February 4th at 4:30 p.m. in Tarnoff Cafeteria and the girls will leave from WOHS at 3 a.m. on February 6th. This is the first time the team has competed in Nationals since 2019 prior to the pandemic.
Since early October, the cheer team has been preparing for their competitive season, competing in smaller competitions where they have made some noise including 1st place at the Impact Competition held at Montville High School. The girls practice 3 to 5 p.m. nearly every day of the week, working to improve each time, whether it they are cleaning up how they build or break down stunts, exaggerated facials, or using the most energy possible in their performances.
With the team being composed of a few seniors, majority freshman, and much of the team who is new to competition cheer, the team worked diligently to build, working with everyone from the basics up. Each year is a new team, with different faces and talents, so they had to balance the basics with being ready in time to compete. Each teammate mentions how far their team has come and it’s a signifying aspect for the girls.
December 8th, the cheerleaders earned a bid to Nationals at the UCA Regional Competition in the Poconos at the Mohegan Sun Arena. They competed in the Small Varsity non tumble division. The moment was electric for the girls and exciting for the WO community.
“The week before regionals, I remember having a conversation with Coach Spears where I said, “If any team is going to make it to Florida, it is this team.” Regardless of the challenges, we fought.” said senior captain Alexa Dias who described the energy as electric and unstoppable once they earned their bid.
A symbolic quirk to Nationals is the Mickey Mouse ears which resemble the competition taking place at Walt Disney World along with “the excitement and prestige of the event,” said Dias. “Competing at nationals in such a renowned location adds an extra layer of magic and accomplishment for the participants, making it a memorable experience. The Mickey ears represent the unique opportunity to compete in a place associated with joy and celebration, enhancing the overall significance of the event.”
The girls have been eagerly preparing for Florida including several fundraisers to support the team and bring the community together such as their Holiday Movie Night for West Orange residents and their current fundraiser is on GoFundMe. Please support the team through donations, sharing information, or simply supporting this unstoppable team! Find the team on social media @womountaineercheer.
