Photo Gallery: Cheer’s Varsity Showcase
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The team completes a breathtaking stunt in a pyramid. The high-risk nature of Cheer is always something for the athletes to keep in mind. “Cheerleading is very, very, hard,” head coach Vanessa Barnes said. It’s one of the most dangerous sports. A lot of people don’t know that because it’s overlooked, but it is very difficult. Any minute, someone can be dropped from all the way up in the air. That’s probably one of the things I would think people need to know about cheerleading.”
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The team presents a stunning display with a flyer. Caution is required to practice these kinds of moves. “It’s nerve-wracking because we want to keep our regional title and people coming on and off the mat is a little bit scary, so we all have to be aware of everyone’s parts,” senior Fiorella Urioste said.
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The team shows off their skill in tumbling with inversions. Tumbling has taken a lot of time and dedication to perfect. “We’ve been working on our tumbling, stunts, cheers and making sure everything goes well with music and making sure we can all work together,” junior Evgeniya Ivragimova said.
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The team awes the crowd with an impressive straddle jump. Each athlete has put in a lot of effort to master the routine. “We’ve been practicing our routine over and over again, with and without music,” junior Evgeniya Ivragimova said.
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The team demonstrates their ability to stay in synchrony. Aspects like these are vital to maintaining the team’s regional title. “Our soonest competition would be Invitationals in Howard County. It’s our first competition of the season, where we get invited to compete with other schools that aren’t exactly in Montgomery county,” senior Fiorella Urioste said.
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The team shows off the precision of their flyers by forming two pyramids. Each aspect of the routine is crucial and must be mastered before the county-wide competition on Oct. 26. “They have to have their routine down before the competition, so it’s less time and it is stressful for them,” head coach Vanessa Barnes said.
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Cheer team members brandish a sign that reads “STORM.” This element of the performance elevates the routine, which is already packed with action. “It’s very tiring for the girls to keep their energy throughout the routine,” head coach Vanessa Barnes said. “You squeeze a whole bunch into two minutes and 30 seconds. It’s a lot for them to just keep up with it and not lose their breath when they are fighting through all of their stunts and tumbling.”
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Cheer kicked off their varsity showcase with energy on Oct. 8. The showcase allowed the team to perform their routine before their Invitational at Long Reach High School the following day.
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