“Our blood sweat and tears went into the mat,” Melissa Visnaw said.
Springstead Cheer earned a spot to the state tournament after competing in the FHSA
Regional Competition hosted by Hudson High School. Springstead maintained their strength on the mat Friday night on January 18, 2019.
As a first-year contender in the FHSAA cheerleading competition, the Eagles have set the bar.
“It’s really exciting to be going to states,” Sophomore Kennedy Jung said. “Everybody on the team has made sacrifices and has been working towards where we are today.”
“I think we have done very well so far including us going to state for our first year and being the only competitive team in Hernando County,” Alexia Anderson said.
With less than two weeks of practice, the team has a tremendous job ahead of them. They will have to focus on redesigning routines to fill injury spots, incorporate new techniques and push themselves even harder for this upcoming competition.
“We can always bring stuff new to the table and no matter what, we can always make something work,” Noelle Pinaud said.
Being involved in this type of competition can be very stressful, not only on the cheerleaders but for the coach as well and after succeeding at the Regional competition, Shannon Herod knows she can trust her team.
“They tell me all time, ‘Coach trust us, we can do it,’” Herod said. “I trust them. I am listening to them, and I am learning that my first year.”
The ladies headed to the Florida High School Competitive Cheerleading State Championships at Exactech Arena (Stephen C. O’Connell Center) in Gainesville on January 31.
In practice, they have implemented what they have learned from their previous competitions.
“We just have to be clean,” Herod said. “Right now it’s just taking those notes from regionals and applying the positive and negative feedback.”
Herod wants the team to know that she believes in them and appreciates the support from her peers.
“This school is so great,” Herod said. “The administrators, teachers and other coaches have been so supportive, and I couldn’t ask to be a part of anything better.”
