BU Cheerleaders Compete at UCA Nationals
Photo courtesy of Jacob Key.
The Bluefield University cheer team traveled to the most magical place on earth, Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, on January 16 to compete in the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) National Cheer Competition at ESPN Worldwide Sports.
Upon their return, coach Ashley Taylor had plenty of bragging to do on her team. She also spoke about the privilege it was compete in Orlando.
”It’s always an honor to be able to compete on a national stage,” Coach Taylor said.
Cheerleading takes a lot of time and dedication to perfect a routine and ensure that it is ready to take to the mat. After months of hard work on their routine, the Bluefield University cheerleaders were faced with an obstacle of having to change the routine the week of their departure.
While this was not an easy task, the team handled it admirably. According to Coach Taylor, her team worked together with smiles on their faces to make the changes that were needed to ensure they had the best performance they could. She especially wanted to recognize sophomore Emma Hatton for stepping into a completely new position in the team’s routine.
“This shows the resiliency of cheerleaders,” Coach Taylor said about all of her team members.
While the cheer team has competed at nationals before, they included some new things this year. This is the first year they choreographed their own routine, which is something that Coach Taylor is very proud of. They also for the first time included BU mascot Victor E. Ram, brought to life by student Tristen Gillenwater.
Coach Taylor said she is particularly proud of her two seniors Cianna Carter and Lauren Haye. She noted she was Carter’s teacher in second grade.
“To have known her since she was a kid, be her teacher in primary school, and now be her college coach for the last four years has been a full circle moment to watch someone excel and exceed,” Coach Taylor said.
She said Haye “has been a great leader” and “her loyalty and dedication (are) unmatched.”
Carter spoke about the honor to compete on a national level and the lessons she has learned from cheer.
“It was nice to be able to see all of our hard work throughout the season be left on the mat and our team walk off as a family,” Carter said. “Cheer has played an important role in my college career by teaching me discipline and self confidence.”
Cheer is a sport that takes a lot of time, hard work, dedication, and teamwork, and everyone must be giving their best performance and attitude at all times. The Bluefield University cheerleaders are a great example of all these traits.