The Newton County High School varsity cheerleaders are headed to nationals for the first time in nearly three decades. The team is leaving next Wednesday, Feb. 9, to head to the UCA National Championships in Orlando, Fla. The event will be televised by streaming service Stadium TV. Newton County fans will get a chance to see the Cougar cheerleaders in action, as they will have a performance Friday night at 6 p.m. in the high school gymnasium. It is free and open to the public.
Cheer Coach Bobbie Simon said her team has been preparing ever since June 2021 for this day. They received their bid to nationals after competing in three regional events, two were live events and one was a virtual event.
It was the virtual event that allowed Newton County to earn the bid.
“They really came together this season after we didn’t really do as well as we’d hoped in our first two regionals,” Simon said. “They used those as learning experiences to prepare us for our virtual regional and for state competition.”
One of the things that Simon said she preaches is consistency.
“In the live action competitions, you only get one chance to hit your routine,” Simon said. “You have to prepare that way in practice so that you can do it at an event.”
That preparation carried over to their virtual meet, where they were able to clinch the bid to nationals.
“We just set aside one day to record our routine, and we got it in only two tries,” Simon said.
They can also watch the stream beginning on Friday around 10:30 a.m.
