Members of Fresno Christian’s Varsity Cheer team once again receive the opportunity to perform with the FCA All-American Cheer team for the 2024 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia, December 30 – January 2, 2025.
Four high school cheerleaders were selected from the FCA summer camp that Fresno Christian Cheer hosted privately: Seniors Rynna Silva and Zoe Blanchfield, along with Sophomores Anna Pascual and Parker Bagley-Tew.
There are many requirements to be selected for FCA All-American. Cheerleaders spend three days with FCA staff learning various materials and perfecting previous skills to later perform on the last day, where FCA judges score their performance. Skill in cheer, dance, volume, sharpness of motion and jumps are taken into account.
After the chosen cheerleaders are announced, they are invited to travel to Atlanta, Georgia for the Peach Bowl. Those selected receive a Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Game Ticket, All-American Banquet Ticket and a VIP Fan Fest Access Ticket.
Silva is a flyer for Fresno Christian and loves to dance. She has been on the cheer squad for all four years of high school and had never traveled to the Peach Bowl before.
“It was such a fun experience, learning routines and with watching the game,” Silva said. “I think everyone should go and experience it at least once.”
The day before the game, FCA hosted a banquet for all the cheerleaders where they worshiped together and listened to a sermon. The All-American team spent four hours rehearsing for their performances at the FanFest. The cheer team performed twice – once for their parents and again for FanFest football fans.
Two time returning All-American member, Pascual, ‘27, considered time with her fellow teammates a highlight of the weekend.
“I enjoyed experiencing it all again, with the performance on stage and watching the game, ” Pascual said. “I especially loved the banquet because we got to listen to a sermon and worship.”
After their performance, the girls attended the Texas Longhorns vs. Arizona State Sun Devils football game, spending quality time together and bonding as a team.
Bagley-Tew, ‘27, reflects on her experience with the All-American team, from learning new routines to performing in front of a larger audience and enjoying an intense game.
“The most fun part was learning new routines and performing them,” Bagley-Tew said. “After that we watched the game, which was really fun because the team played intensely.”
After this monumental experience, seniors consider the future of their cheerleading careers, while the Fresno Christian cheer team continues to support their peers at upcoming games.
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