Ending on a high note, Colonia’s competition cheer team were announced to be State and International champions in their division.
Overview of the team
The team was a group of 18 girls landing in the medium intermediate division. With four stunt groups and lots of amazing tumblers this team went undefeated their whole season. Week after week, they rose to the occasion, hitting clean routines and outperforming everyone in the division. Trust, friendship, and hardwork built their success, and set a standard of excellence that made this season truly unforgettable.
Building the Routine
Their stunning routine is crafted by the coaches’ amazing friends, while the stunts are designed by CJA or Central Jersey Allstars. Then the practices really begin, learning and perfecting tumbling passes, jumps, and stunts. Gradually going through each section to maximize difficulty and execution. Coaches emphasized timing, shape motions, and clean transitions, ensuring every element flowed seamlessly into the next. Through reception, feedback from judges, and trust in one another, the routine turned into a powerful performance that rocked the mat.
Competitions
The Colonia competition cheer team won every single competition they attended, with their score increasing each time. Even with minor mistakes throughout the season they still came out on top winning some of the biggest competitions. States being one of them with the awards begging metals, a trophy, banners, a half blue half gold letter for their varsity jacket, and team rings. They also went down to Florida in Universal studios for international winning metals, a banner, a trophy, and jackets.
Right before you hit the mat
The cheerleaders, even with all the practicing they do, still get nervous before performing. Thinking things they can’t really control like if the stunts hit or if they will have enough energy to still do their intense tumbling passes.Talking to them I have learned that ever though they are thinking of the what if’s they try to stay positive and think about the things they can control like motions and facial expressions.
Keeping energy up the whole routine is also very important, this makes the judges and audience excited to watch the performance and want to know what you will do next. Another main thing the team did before their performance was putting liquid chalk on their hands. A teammate Juliana Bruck explains that this helps with grips for example while stunting your hands can get sweaty and start to slip, but with the chalk your hands stay nice and grippy, maintaining ready throughout the whole routine.
Talking to the team
Olivia Gontarz, a 16 year-old sophomore at Colonia High School Says she loved being on the competition cheer team. When asked if they ever had to change the routine midway during a competition she says “Yes, Once during a competition we were performing and a flyer got hurt in the beginning of the routine. A judge actually stopped the routine and said we could go on again. This is where my part came in because I had to fill in and become a flyer to brace another stunt. Within just another warm up time I had to learn new positions, grips, and motions, it was definitely challenging but it was fun to experience the runtime in a different way.”
Juliana Bruck, a 16 year-old junior at Colonia high school says the competition cheer team was a super fun experience. When asked what is a characteristic you think is most important for a team to have she says “I believe the most important characteristic a team has is trust. Im a flyer and getting thrown in the air can be scary especially when not knowing the person under you.” Regarding trust she also talks about a team bonding experience. “Yes, we actually had such a fun time all together at color me mine. We painted poetry and learned more about eachother, making the team closer than ever.”
