The Melissa High School cheer program has always been composed of extreme talent and girls that dedicate themselves to making the school a positive and exciting environment. The MHS cheerleaders are known for supporting teams year-round as they go off and compete in a variety of sports. Whether they are rallying from the sidelines or flipping on the court at pep rallies, the cheerleaders always add spirit, just by their presence alone. However, this year’s cheer coaches felt that this special group of girls deserved a different platform to display their talent and skills. The cardinal cheerleaders spread their wings and embraced the new opportunity to represent Melissa ISD.

On Jan. 11, the cheer team boarded Cardinal One and traveled to The Fort Worth Convention Center to compete, for the very first time, in the UIL State Cheerleading Competition. Upon their arrival, the cardinals were greeted with thousands of other cheerleaders from high schools all across the state of Texas. The amount of other competitors and large crowds failed to intimidate the girls as they performed three separate events during the preliminaries.

The purpose behind the entire UIL competition is to promote school spirit in simulated experiences that could occur in an actual game day situation. The categories of competition included a choreographed band dance, a cheer that prompted crowd involvement, and a school fight song routine. The Melissa cheerleaders had spent weeks prior preparing and crafting highly competitive material to bring to each aspect of the competition.

Their hard work paid of as the end of day one rolled around. The cardinals found themselves ranked in the top 20 among the other schools listed in the 4A division, and won a bid to come back and compete the following day in finals. The final segment of the competition included a three minute presentation of all of the skills combined.

The MHS cheerleaders woke up extra early Thursday morning in order to fit in one last practice and perfect their skills before heading back to downtown Fort Worth, to prove, once again, their undeniable dedication to their school and each other. As the countdown to showtime dwindled, the team gathered for the last time in preparation for their program’s biggest performance yet. After a pep talk from their captains and coaches, the cardinals took the mat and were greeted with a large fan base of parents, friends, and teachers that also believed in the greatness that the girls possessed.

The final routine was flawless and screamed school spirit from the moment the girls hit the mat to the time they rallied off. With peppy chants, energized motions, and flashy dances, the cheerleader preformed to the best of their abilities. The girls ended up placing 12th out of the of 70 teams competing in their division, and walked away with their heads held high in anticipation for what the future may bring.

The varsity head coach, Julie Cruse Malone, believes that, “this is a one of a kind team and is possibly the best squad to come through the program… a true dream team.” That statement could not be any truer. Because of the inspiring leadership of the current seniors, the following juniors and underclassmen are excited to carry on the legacy and continue to grow and become more powerful for the generations of cheerleaders to come. So keep your eyes out for those cardinal cheerleaders, the possibilities are endless.