Wildcats Overcome Adversity, Advance To Regionals
Facing unexpected adversity, the Rockbridge County High School competition cheerleading team stepped up to place second of seven teams and finished as the top Class 3 team in the Shenandoah District competition last Wednesday night in Lexington.
Playing host for a district competition for the first time in program history, the Wildcats performed their routine in a packed gym and overcame an injury during warmups to their main flyer, senior Gabby Brown. Sophomore Emmalee Grimm stepped in to fill Brown’s role, and the Wildcats pushed through with an acrobatic performance. Brown would join the team on crutches for their celebration and photos.
“We had to quickly rework the routine without having another warmup,” said Shannon Bryan. “Overall, the girls pulled out an amazing routine. Spirits were low after the injury, but they pulled together as a team. That’s when you’ve got to come together, when the injuries happen.”
“These girls not only met the task, but exceeded all expectations,” added Bryan. “They came together as a team and worked towards a goal.”
The only team the Wildcats trailed was Stuarts Draft, which won decisively with 201.25 points. RC scored 144.25 points to finish comfort- ably ahead of third-place Fort Defiance (111.25), while Staunton (109) placed fourth, and Riverheads (98) finished fifth. Completing the standings were Waynesboro (94) and Buffalo Gap (54.5).
RC, one of three Class 3 schools at the competition, finished ahead of Class 3 teams Staunton and Waynesboro. All three advanced to the Region 3C competition, which is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 25, at noon at Wilson Memorial High School in Fishersville. The smaller schools competing and advancing in other regions were Stuarts Draft and Fort Defiance from Class 2 and, from Class 1, Buffalo Gap and Riverheads.
Each team’s routine was required to last at least two minutes and 30 seconds and no more than three minutes, with music for no more than one minute and 45 seconds.
After the competition, the Wildcats honored their five seniors, who were also the five cheerleaders who earned alldistrict honors. Brown, Lillian Ballard and Willow Rogers were named to the all-district first team, while Riley McDaniel and Emma Mines were selected to the all-district second team.
Bryan, who is in her seventh year of coaching the Wildcats, noted that all but one of the seniors have been cheering since they were freshmen. This year, she said, the team “has definitely been more of a family for them. Everyone has felt welcome on the team. They made everyone feel welcome. Everyone’s attitude has been completely positive this season. Those seniors have played a huge role in making that happen this year.”
In addition to Grimm and the seniors, the RC cheerleaders are juniors Makenna Brinkley, Maria Calomeris and Celia Jones; sophomores Sofia Gaydos, Ariana Mitchell, Natasha Shorter and Chloe Zollman; and freshmen Alaina Early and Josellyn Fitz. Helping Bryan guide the Wildcats is assistant coach Sarah Parnell.
The Wildcats, who switched to the Shenandoah District from the Valley District, where they placed third last year, are the defending Region 3C champions, after winning their first-ever regional title last year and placing eighth in the Class 3 state competition. The Wildcats graduated seven seniors from last year, including four all-state cheerleaders.
The top two teams from the regional competition will advance to the state competition.
Bryan said the Wildcats are hoping to place in the top five in the first round at the regional competition so that they can make it to the second round. “We know that we’re going up against a lot of tough teams in our region,” said Bryan. “Simply from being in the Valley District last year, we know it’s a lot of competition in the region.”
The RC coach said she was grateful the Wildcats could have two competitions at home, the Wildcat Rumble on Sept. 17, when RC placed third of five teams, and the district competition. She gave credit to RC athletic director Anthony Marasco and athletic department assistant Travis Rogers for making it happen.
Summing up her team’s performance in the district competition, Bryan said, “I’m just overall completely so proud of how they pulled together with this routine and made it happen.”
