Clover High cheerleaders win division title

Clover High School cheerleaders finished first in their division in the Oct. 3 Trojan Invitational.

“Everything sort came together,” said head cheer coach Hannah Goolsby. “We’ve been working hard this season, and the girls have improved a lot.”

Goolsby says a busy off-season has contributed to the squad’s success.

“We started practicing in May and practiced all through the summer,” she said. “We’ve practiced at least three days a week since the school year started.”

The team spends a lot of time to reach the top performance level but also has other goals in mind.

“We go to cheerleader camp at UNC and develop team bonding there,” she said. “We’re definitely a closer-knit group when we leave the UNC camp.”

CHS senior cheerleaders Emma Transou and Taylor Moreno are senior captains.

“There were good teams in the competition,” Transou said. “We have a really complicated routine that we show everybody.”

Moreno said the cheer squad’s hard work and dedication in the off-season is making a difference.

“We train at least four times a week,” she said. “We do running, sprints and long distance.”

Morena said the first-place finish at Northwestern was a challenge.

“I knew our team could do it in the long run,” she said. “All of the hard work paid off.”

Senior cheerleaders Kaitlyn Sain and Kelley Morrell said the first-place finish was thrilling.

“It’s special as a senior cheerleader. This is the best we’ve ever done,” said Sain, who has been cheering since seventh grade.

Morrell knows a thing or two about the intense off-season preparations.

“We practice a lot, lifting weights and conditioning,” she said. “We practice as much as the football team almost.”

Goolsby said the cheerleaders will perform their winning routine at the school pep rally before the Nov. 6 Clover-York football game.

“The York game is a huge week,” Morrell said. “They’re our rivals. It’s a big deal.”

This story was originally published October 13, 2015 at 9:23 AM with the headline "Clover High cheerleaders win division title."