STATE CHEER DYNASTY

After seven months of 2½-hour practices, it all comes down to 2½ minutes.

The competition cheer team at New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva (NRHEG) High School made it all look easy last month, defeating eight teams to bring home the first-place trophy at the state competition for the third straight year.

“That was a huge goal for our kids this year,” said Joni Churchill, one of four coaches for the team.

“Our two performances at state were probably the best performances I’ve ever seen these kids put out on a mat,” she said. “They were amazing, and we finished our final round a full 16 points ahead of the second-place team – which is a ton of points in competition cheer.”

In addition to the win, six athletes were named All-State cheerleaders: Eva Wayne, Grace Wilkenson, Payton Bunn, Brenna Sommer, Isabel Stadheim, and Sierra Misgen.

And one more thing: The NRHEG team also received the Regional Academic Honor award for having the region’s highest GPA; at 3.83, it was also the highest GPA in the state.

The win at state sent the team to the National High School Cheerleading Championship in Orlando, Fla., where it placed 11^th.

“Our performances at Nationals went well,” Churchill said. “In the first round, we battled a lot of nerves and some exhaustion,” after arriving from Minnesota the day before, with an early-morning competition time.

Still, “we were lucky enough to make it into the second round and performed a better-executed routine with a lot more energy,” she said. “Our goal was just to make it out of that first round, and we did.”

The team was just 0.8 points from making it into the top 10, which would have advanced them to the finals.

“It was heartbreaking,” Churchill said, “but it was also really gratifying to know we could be so successful. I think it also left them pretty hungry for more.”

She and Jennie Bunn have been coaching the team for five years; Brooke Berg and Linda Stadheim have been coaches for four years.

The coaching isn’t the only constant. Most of the athletes have been competing together since they were in second or third grade, Churchill said, “so at this point, they know each other extremely well, and I think that’s a big advantage that we’ve had over other teams.”

The team also hasn’t lost large numbers to graduation.

“Two years ago, we had one (graduate); this year, we’ll have two, so that’s helped with consistency and success as well,” she said.

The 15 members range from eighth graders to seniors. They start practice in July “because that’s when there’s the most gym availability,” Churchill said. Throughout the season, there are just one or two weekly practices lasting 2½ hours.

Other teams typically practice more often, she said, “so we really have to be mindful and take advantage of the time we have.”

Much of the time is spent working on skills, building difficulty, and improving technique. Judges’ feedback from competitions throughout the season also dictate the work done.

The performances are choreographed by All Star Cheerleading gym out of Bloomington, but “we really try to give our athletes the reins as much as possible,” Churchill said. “We want them to feel a sense of ownership in their routine.”

They also needed to raise money for the trip to the national competition; it cost more than $27,000 to send the 15 athletes and four coaches.

While the kids worked really hard, their coach said, “we were so amazed by the generosity of the … community. It was humbling to see how much they believed in our kids and wanted to invest in them and their success.”

A lot of the girls had never been on an airplane or out of the Midwest.

“This experience is something these kids will remember for the rest of their lives, and it’s all thanks to the community,” Churchill said.

Their accomplishments are even more noteworthy when you take a look at the students’ schedules. About half of the team also plays volleyball; several are also in sideline cheer for other sports teams at NRHEG. They have jobs, families, volunteer work, and of course, school – keeping up that strong GPA.

“They’re some of the hardest workers I know,” Churchill said, “and they’re also really, really good humans. Doing this with them has been one of the best things I’ve ever done.

“I’ve heard coaches talk about getting their ‘once in a lifetime’ team,” she said. “I know these guys are mine.”