The Bowie cheerleading junior and varsity teams work are more than just for entertainment at football games and pep rallies. The teams also competes and does well in various cheerleading competitions locally and around the state, and soon will be participating at the national level.

The varsity and junior varsity teams have practices almost everyday after school for an hour and a half or more. In these practices the girls continue to learn and perfect new routines.

“We practice almost everyday working on our stunts and learning our routine. Many of us also go to outside tumbling classes to improve our skills,” senior Harrison Rocha said.

The reason that they make new, unique routines is for cheer competitions, which both teams often do well in.

“I get excited for them during performances if I know that they know what they’re doing, otherwise I’m fearful for them because not everyone trains the same,” varsity and junior varsity coach Ervin Knight said.

Every competition they have a different routine?

“My favorite part of performing is that when you’re on the floor and everybody is talking to each other and  really motivating one another, it’s a really good way to feel close with my team,” junior Bridget Alvarez said.

Both teams competed in the Southwest Regional competition in San Marcos on Nov. 24. The varsity team competed as a co-ed small team, and the junior varsity team competed as a non-building team, the only team in that class.

“I always try to channel my energy into my performance,” Rocha said. “There were some mistakes made but I think overall me and my group did really well.”

The junior varsity received a score of 57.50 points, and the varsity team had a score of 78.00 points, giving them second place.

“It was really exciting because we have all worked hard as a team and individually to get where we are,” Rocha said.

Because of their high score, the varsity team is advancing to compete at the national level at the National High School Cheerleading Championship in Walt Disney World on Feb. 6.

“I know that this will be an amazing experience for us,” Alvarez said. “We’ve trained really hard to reach our goal and it’s great that we’re able to see our dreams come true.”

Nationals will be whenever wherever and they will design a new routine

“Right now, we’ve set a goal for ourselves to go in and place top ten,” Knight said.

The teams also have another competition ahead of them, the UCA Texas State Championship, on Jan. 10 in San Marcos.

“I hope we do the best that we can do, we hit all our stunts and tumbling and hopefully place well,” Rocha said.

For the next two competitions, the teams will create a new routine to perform, just as they have at every competition.

“Whenever I perform I feel a lot of adrenaline, before going on I get really nervous and jumpy but once the routine has started all of the nerves go away,” Alvarez said.

The varsity cheerleading team has a busy schedule of practices and competitions, from football games to competitions but they hope that their hard work will pay off in the end, at their last competition.

“For nationals I’m hoping for us to hit our routine to the best of our abilities, I’d just like to perform a routine we’re happy with at the end.” Alvarez said. “My only fear for Nationals is leaving unhappy with our performance. If we try our hardest I know I’ll be proud no matter what the results are.”