The cheer squad set themselves against the best of the medium varsity catagory along with last year’s national Champions, Whittier Christian. The team headed to Whittier with anticipation of high placement, believing they could upset the champs.

However, Whittier Christian took first place at the FCC Southern California Kick-Off on Dec. 2. The campus squad placed in second after scoring 25.5 points; Midway Baptist finished third.

“You can always come up with a million reasons why we did not beat the first place team,” third-year coach Katie Mendenhall said. “But ultimately we did not give the same level of performance as we did at the previous two competitions. I felt that they did not give our best performance; we deserved second.”

With a few wobbles and missed skills in the routine, the campus squad carries on towards the Fellowship of Christian Cheerleaders Nation Cheer Competition in Orlando, Florida. They will head to Orlando from Jan. 3-7.

?For Nationals I am really hoping to place in the top three,? Heather Neal, ’07, said. ?I know that is a lot to ask for, but I think if our squad works together, we can definitely do it. We just need to stay focused and hit a clean routine and I think we have a good chance of our goal.?

With a 28 out of 30 in the Sacramento competition, the squad did not perform as well at Whittier. The team wishes to show a better performance at Nationals. For more information on the competition in Sacramento, read Brittany Stobbe’s Nov. 30 article, “Cheer Grand Champions of Capital Classic”.

?I am looking forward to competing in Nationals against Whittier,? Mendenhall said. ?We know our routine can beat them if we perform at the best of our abilities. They were national champs last year so placing second against them is not that bad.?

With 23 teams competing in the medium varsity catagory for the title of National Champion, the squad hopes for a great performance and opportunities for the squad to bond.

?Other than placing in the top three, I want this trip to be a chance to bond with the team,? senior captain Barbara Krikorian said. ?I think my favorite memory from the Whittier competition was watching the JV perform for the first time. Moments like those are priceless.?

To help improve the team?s performance, the squad has been practicing at Break the Barriers every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 2:15-4 P. M. After practice on Wednesdays, the girls stay until 5:30 for tumbling lessons provided by Russel Spencer.

“Because of Russ’ help, we were able to accomplished more tumbling skills in such a short period of time, which would have taken a lot longer to learn,” Whittney Stipe, ’08, said. “He has been such a blessing to us.”

?Well, we did not have anywhere to practice when we were invited to go to Break the Barriers for an affordable price,? Krikorian said. ?They are so wonderful and supportive of our team.?

With the flyer in the air stunting, the bases are often overlooked. The bases need to be strong and have endurance.

“Base is one of the hardest positions to be in,” Alisa Reynolds, ’07, said. “The flyers need to hold the bases accountable in case she falls or something goes wrong and we are working hard not to disappoint them.”

The squad will have mandatory practices over Christmas break on Dec. 18, 20 and 28 at Break the Barriers from 9-10 A.M.

?Having practice over break will help the girls keep their momentum,? Mendenhall said. ?It will also keep the high level of energy and endurance.?

For a final scoring of the Whittier competition, click on FCC Southern California Kick-Off at Whittier High.

For a group photo of the Capital Christian Grand Champions, go to the photo section of this paper or click on Cheer named Grand Champions.