Brentsville Cheerleaders Win VHSL State Championship Cheer Competition

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With superior tumbling and precision, the Brentsville District High School Competition Cheer Squad won the title of Virginia High School League Divison 3A Cheer Champions in Richmond Va., Nov. 9.

Cheerleading has become increasingly competitive and intricate over the years. In order to win the state championship in their division, the Brentsville squad executed a near flawless routine, which included rapidly constructed standing-pyramids, back-flips, jumps, choreography and military precise movements.

Coach and teacher Taryn Witt, who has run the cheerleading program for the past 15 years, said her program has become more competitive nearly every year.

“I think when you build a program from the beginning and you set high standards, know that it’s a commitment they have to make, and they understand that. Cheerleaders who have come before have helped set what this program is,” Witt said.

Brentsville seniors Jonathan Trujillo, Mandy Vickers and Skylar Harris already participated in competitive cheerleading before they entered high school. Cheerleading for them was never about standing around on the sidelines; it was a way to push themselves as athletes to the next level in gymnastics, dance and more traditional cheer.

Before trying out for the squad in the ninth grade, they knew they would need to bring certain skills, especially in complex floor tumbling as the Brentsville’s squad specializes in backhand springs, tuck back flips, no-handed back flips and straight layout flips.

Vickers said she feels like Brentsville really excels at its tumbling, saying, “I feel we always have more tumbling and stunts"

Many successful athletes say they have stood on the shoulders of those who came before them. For Brentsville cheerleaders this is both literally and figuratively true. Inspiration for many of Brentsville cheerleaders began with a strong feeder program supported by the high school squad.

Harris said she attended cheerleading camps that Witt and her cheerleading alums held for children in the community. Looking at what those girls could do, she knew she also wanted to do that when they got to high school.

What followed was peewee Tiger cheering and participation in an elite AllStar travel cheer program. Still, they knew, as Brentsville High School cheerleaders, certain things were expected from them that went beyond their technical ability, such as mentoring others and serving as representatives of their school.

“This group of seniors did an amazing job getting these kids ready. It’s hard with the different age groups, and not just the competition, but the games and the requirements with the rest of the building being an ambassador,” Witt said.

She explained that she has her cheerleaders cheer at football games and charity games, perform community service and act as tour guides to incoming freshman. To her, it was just part of the culture she wants to encourage.

“I just think that’s what cheerleaders are suppose to do. It’s important to me that they don’t just have the competition aspect and support the teams but the whole school,” Witt said.

To prepare for the competitions, Trujillos said they always took it “one step at a time."

“After our competitions, we'd see what everyone else is doing, and we'd want to be better. Even at the end, we were pushing people to try new things. You can’t settle; you always want to be better,” said Harris.

And with every competition came the judge’s feedback they could use to tweak their performances. At the same time, they understood their competition was also improving their routines, which only served as more encouragement to be more daring, but also more precise.

“Judges look for energy,” said Harris, “and how much you show you really want it.”

However, Trujillo thinks what they want to see most is a clean performance.

“The judges would rather see simple things without shakiness than things that are ugly and shaky,” he said. “Luckily we can do both [a complex and precise routine.]”

They said their precision comes from their repetition, as Witt requires they practice their stunts again and again.

While Witt admits she can be strict, her seniors find her fair and like that she pushes them to go beyond to that next level of excellence.

After winning at the state championships, Vickers said it felt "amazing." But, Harris and Trujillo said they felt relieved.

“We didn’t have to think that we could be state champions," Trujillo said. "We finally were."

The BDHS coaching staff includes Head Coach Taryn Witt; Assistant Coaches AShley Uleman, Marianne Burns and Marie Holland.

The BDHS Cheerleaders are Miranda Alldaffer, Maddy Blesi, Allison Blevins, Cindy Cameron, Lexie Caporaletti, Ashley Chandler, Arianna Harris, Skylar Harris, Mariah Hoffman, Kiera Johnson, Kyler Meadows, Megan Olson, Alex Peloquin, Rachel Rollins, Angela Ross, Dayleen Statler, Naomi Statler, Jonathan Trujillo, Hannah Uleman, Mandy Vickers and Caelainn Welsh.

 Photos submitted by Taryn Witt. 

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