Cheerleaders overcome injuries, place fifth in state competition
Photo by Eléa-Marie Gilles
November 6, 2016
[dropcap size=”4″]T[/dropcap]he RBHS cheer squad had to fight through multiple injuries Saturday, Nov. 5, but nonetheless found themselves in fifth place at the Missouri State Cheerleading Championship. This is the second consecutive year the squad achieved this place, which is no small feat after losing five seniors from last year. “We just came together and made it special when it really mattered and I’m just so happy with that.” Madelyn Jones, senior ”
On top of the losses from graduation, the group also had to perform without the help of junior Jenny Allen, who popped her shoulder of its socket the day before. Though the loss was difficult to handle right before their performance, senior Madelyn Jones said that the team still found a way to get through it by remembering how hard they had worked throughout the season.
“This team as a whole has just worked so hard together and it’s been really amazing,” Jones said. “It was really tough to see us lose girls to injury, but we just knew what we had to do.”
The girls completely defied the odds they faced, as they allowed zero drops and performed possibly their most in-sync group dance all year, wowing the crowd with their performance.
For head coach Kristen Hayes, the performance was astounding and all that she could have asked for.
“I really just couldn’t be more proud of the team,” Hayes said. “They really just persevered through all of the really negative stuff that had happened to us and made something really special out of it. It was honestly the best routine I’ve seen from them all year.”
Though it’s tough to see their cheer season come to an end, Jones speaks for the rest of the team when she says that she couldn’t be more happy with how it came to a close.
“The whole thing was just really special I think,” Jones said. “We just came together and made it special when it really mattered and I’m just so happy with that.”
How do you think the cheerleaders’ season went? Let us know in the comments below.
![Sophomore Ellie Barnett smiles big as she prepares to begin the second part of the Bruins routine. Barnett believes the team is ready to compete at state. This year we have gotten better at mostly everything, Barnett said. If we just don’t get nervous then everything we have will go [to state with us].](https://bearingnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/DSC_0612-e1543590364236-475x317.jpg)
Jadyn Lisenby • Nov 9, 2016 at 8:17 pm
Great job to the cheerleaders! Sounds like they did an amazing job without some of their teammates due to injuries. It turned out to be one of their best performances all year because they decided to keep working hard. Can’t wait to see more performances from them!
Maddie Murphy • Nov 9, 2016 at 6:56 pm
Fifth place is definitely not something to be ashamed of! I’m proud of all of the girls for dealing with all of the trouble that life threw their way this season and handling it like the champions they are!
Ben Kimchi • Nov 7, 2016 at 12:00 am
I think that their season was great! To achieve 5th at the state level 2 years in a row with injuries seems incomprehensible. Good for them!