The Southwest High varsity cheerleading squad perform stunts during practice Monday at Southwest High School in El Centro. (FERNANDO ACOSTA JR. PHOTO) |
For the fifth time since taking over the Southwest High School cheerleading program, head coach Denise Harrison will be taking her squad to a highly regarded national competition.
The Southwest Eagles cheerleaders will compete in the Universal Cheerleaders Association’s National High School Cheerleading Championship Feb. 11-12 in Orlando, Fla.
“It’s the most prestigious one in the country,” Harrison said of the competition. “It’s the only one nationally televised on ESPN and ESPN2.”
Whereas in the past Southwest has competed in a tumbling division, which limits squads to just 20 girls each, Harrison has placed the Eagles in the non-tumbling division, allowing her to take all 24 varsity girls as well as their sole male cheerleader this year.
“If you don’t have the whole team tumbling — doing standing tucks, fulls, everything then you don’t advance,” Harrison said. “We were just four points from semifinals last year.
“We went to a masters camp last year that was invitation-only by the state director of UCA, where we learned the elite stunts and pyramids that we’re notorious for,” she said. “That’s the focus of the non-tumbling division.”
Senior Tamari Saikhon will be going to the UCA NHSCC for the third time, this time as varsity squad captain.
“It’s really exciting,” the 17-year-old Saikhon said. “I’m excited to be going again, to be hitting the floor and showing off our routine.
“It brings adrenaline, so it makes me want to hit everything more,” Saikhon said.
An added bonus this year is that Harrison and junior varsity coach Demi Driscoll are taking Southwest’s J.V. squad to compete, as well.
“Our J.V. squad got first place in regionals in San Diego,” Harrison said. “They are the first J.V. squad from the Valley to go to nationals.”
“I’m really excited because it’s my first year coaching, and it’s their first year going to nationals,” Driscoll, a former Eagle cheerleader under Harrison, said of her girls.
At just 15 years old, sophomore J.V. captain Eunyoung Lee is looking forward to taking the first Valley J.V. squad to the NHSCC.
“It feels amazing that we get to have a huge opportunity like that,” she said. “For our coaches to believe in us to go and hit, it means a lot to all of us,” Lee said.
The Southwest Eagles cheerleaders will compete in the Universal Cheerleaders Association’s National High School Cheerleading Championship Feb. 11-12 in Orlando, Fla.
“It’s the most prestigious one in the country,” Harrison said of the competition. “It’s the only one nationally televised on ESPN and ESPN2.”
Whereas in the past Southwest has competed in a tumbling division, which limits squads to just 20 girls each, Harrison has placed the Eagles in the non-tumbling division, allowing her to take all 24 varsity girls as well as their sole male cheerleader this year.
“If you don’t have the whole team tumbling — doing standing tucks, fulls, everything then you don’t advance,” Harrison said. “We were just four points from semifinals last year.
“We went to a masters camp last year that was invitation-only by the state director of UCA, where we learned the elite stunts and pyramids that we’re notorious for,” she said. “That’s the focus of the non-tumbling division.”
Senior Tamari Saikhon will be going to the UCA NHSCC for the third time, this time as varsity squad captain.
“It’s really exciting,” the 17-year-old Saikhon said. “I’m excited to be going again, to be hitting the floor and showing off our routine.
“It brings adrenaline, so it makes me want to hit everything more,” Saikhon said.
An added bonus this year is that Harrison and junior varsity coach Demi Driscoll are taking Southwest’s J.V. squad to compete, as well.
“Our J.V. squad got first place in regionals in San Diego,” Harrison said. “They are the first J.V. squad from the Valley to go to nationals.”
“I’m really excited because it’s my first year coaching, and it’s their first year going to nationals,” Driscoll, a former Eagle cheerleader under Harrison, said of her girls.
At just 15 years old, sophomore J.V. captain Eunyoung Lee is looking forward to taking the first Valley J.V. squad to the NHSCC.
“It feels amazing that we get to have a huge opportunity like that,” she said. “For our coaches to believe in us to go and hit, it means a lot to all of us,” Lee said.
