Recently some students that are a part of the Xcel Cheer Team including freshmen Audrey Rymer, Franklin Owens, Madison Davis and sophomore Shayla Meredith, qualified for U.S finals. Finals took place on April 21.

Xcel Cheer has two teams, a junior team and a senior team.

“Our team name for the junior team is Xcel Chaos and the oldest you can be for that team is 14

Rymer said. “Our team name for the senior team is Xcel Rage and that team is for people 18 and below.”

For the team to qualify for U.S finals they had to be in the top three at a qualifying competition.

“Both our senior and junior team were in the top three,” Rymer said. “So, we both got to go to finals which a big accomplishment.”

The cheer squads both help each other prepare to perform.

“Before we go on, everyone just encourages one another,” Rymer said. “We also play this game where we stand in a circle and sing this song. Each group like flyers, bases, back spotters and tumblers, gets a turn to dance in the middle of the circle.”

At the end of finals, the moment the whole team was waiting for arrived. The results from the competition were announced.

“The junior team got first, and the senior team got second,” Rymer said. “They have different divisions at competitions and our teams compete in different levels.”