Warrior cheerleaders reach new heights

The 2014 Nansemond River High School cheerleading squad set a new standard for the program during Saturday’s Virginia High School League Group 4A state cheerleading tournament at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Siegel Center.

The local squad finished as state runner up, a mere three points shy of first place Glen Allen High School.

“Nansemond’s only sent one other team to states,” NR coach Amanda Lyons said, noting it was prior to her five-year tenure. “This is the first time Nansemond’s ever had a cheerleading team place that high.”

Nansemond River also placed second this year in Region 4A South.

For states, the squad started out Saturday in a field of eight teams, the four best from 4A South and the four best from 4A North.

There were two rounds, and the four teams judged to have performed their two and a half to three minute routines the best would advance to the final round.

Nansemond River easily advanced out of the first round, in first place.

There were about 30 minutes in between each round. In the final round, scores were erased and the top four teams re-performed their routines and were re-scored by the judges.

Nansemond River’s routine, which can be viewed online at www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gODSOpOeOU, involved a cheer portion that lasted for about a minute and a half and a dance portion that lasted a similar amount of time.

During the cheer portion, the team displays synchronized cheers with motion, designed to engage the crowd.

The overall routine also features stunts, tumbling, dancing and jumps.

Lyons said judges are looking at the teams’ abilities in their different activities, their technique, their overall appeal and their energy.

Lyons cited experience as a reason her team did so well this year.

“We have a little bit older team,” she said. “I had seven seniors this year.”

The majority of the team was composed of upperclassmen.

“They just wanted it, and they were going to go after it,” Lyons said.

Senior Skyland Barbee, one of three captains on the team, has been a member of the squad since her freshman year and was excited to see this new milestone reached.

“It just means that all the hard work has paid off and our dreams are really coming into reality,” she said. “We didn’t work hard for nothing.”

Senior Zylon Renshaw, who has been with the team for three years, said, “It’s just mind-boggling to see this team come so far as we have.”

He recalled how the team fell just short of qualifying for state competition last year and how that served as key motivator for this year.

Lyons pointed out that though the younger members of the team were fewer in number, they, too, were a key part of the season’s success as participants both young and experienced worked together.

“The upperclassmen believed in the lowerclassmen,” the coach said.

Summing up the team, she later added, “They really became a well-rounded group of kids.”