The Delphi • February 28, 2024 • https://sno.dvrhs.org/15830/sports/slideshow-del-val-cheerleading-nationals/
Slideshow: Del Val Cheerleading Nationals
@delvalcheerleading
Del Val Cheerleading finished in third place at Finals in Orlando, Florida.
Sara Matthews and Erin Bate
On Feb. 7, Del Val cheerleading was off to the airport for the 2024 UCA Nationals in Florida. They had been preparing since July and were ready to take on Florida. Last year, Del Val Cheer placed tenth in the nation, and the team was ready for redemption. (Erin Bate)The team arrived in Florida late at night and went straight to bed as they had a long weekend ahead of them. They were excited as they got to stay at the same resort as last year, All-Star Music Resort. (Sara Matthews)Every chance available, there was a scheduled practice, starting at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex. The team woke up extra early to get practice time at the venue where it would be competing. (Sara Matthews)To celebrate a long season, each year the team dresses up and goes to a team dinner. This year’s dinner was at Disney Springs’ Planet Hollywood restaurant, which was a big hit. The team dinner is usually in Disney Springs, this way everyone can break off with a few people or family to walk around afterward. (Erin Bate)The first competition, Pre-lims, was on Saturday morning, which the team entered with high hopes to move on to Semifinals. The team performed a zero deduction routine, advancing to Semifinals in third place. (Sara Matthews)At Semifinals, the team performed another strong zero deduction routine. The team had to wait at the baseball field for about an hour to find out if they advanced to finals. (Sara Matthews)The team was announced first, securing its spot in Finals in the top three of the Small Varsity Game-Day division. That night, the team spent time going over simple corrections and made a few small changes to improve its score for Finals. The Del Val cheerleaders performed with so much love for one another and could not have put a better final routine out there, finishing in third place. (Erin Bate)The last day was spent park-hopping, celebrating the team’s months of hard work and success. The first park of the day was Animal Kingdom, then Magic Kingdom and lastly Epcot. (Erin Bate)Because of the snow in New Jersey, the team got more time in the parks on its final day and stayed an extra night in Florida. Del Val Cheerleading brought home third place medals and a trophy, along with many memories for the rest of their lives. 2024 UCA Nationals is officially over, and now the team is ready to take on New Jersey States, hoping for a four-peat! (Sara Matthews)
