By Carly Montan
Web Editor
Sporting events would lack their excitement without someone to cheer them on. Luckily, Mira Costa has two nationally competing teams: dance and cheer.
Dance went to the United Dance Association Nationals on Feb. 4, but cheer will compete this weekend at the National High School Cheerleading Championship, a sect of the United Cheer Association.
In order to dance and cheer at these two competitions, teams must make it past regional qualifiers which Costa did on Nov. 13. Both the UDA and NHSCC are held every February at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
“The competition to get in to nationals really showed us how much we had to work on our routine it,” senior cheer member Samantha Dizenfeld said.
At the UDA Costa’s dance team competed in two categories: varsity pom and varsity jazz. Its success in the first round of pom and semi-finals of jazz earned them awards.
“I think we all did well and did our best,” senior dance co-captain Caitlyn Lombardo said.
The Mustangs prepared two different routines for dance well in advance. The dance team performed at basketball games to sharpen their moves.
“We practiced our dance for two hours a day, Monday through Friday. Our hard work took us to a great experience,” junior dance member Emily Rogers said.
This year Nichole Matejka, the new dance teacher, is leading the team and has already taught the girls quite a bit, helping them qualify for this competition. She has a three time rule for learning routines and requires the girls to be in an outside dance class.
“She is changing how the team works for the better. We’ve progressed so much from the start of the year,” Lombardo said.
Costa cheer has prepared extensively. The football games of first semester served as a great place for cheer not only to work with their fellow Mustangs, but also to gain muscle memory of their sequences.
“Since this is our first year, it will really be about the experience,” senior cheer member Chelsea Davis said.
With little time, the girls have packed as much difficulty and technique as possible into their routine.
“It is so rewarding to go through all the long practices and finally compete in something you’ve worked so hard on,” Davis said.
Cheer will compete against 44 other teams in their division.
“People who have gone say that it is just like the movie ‘Bring it On,’ so I am super excited,” Davis said.
Finals for the UCA will be nationally televised this weekend, and cheer hopes to perform at the best of their abilities.
“I believe our team will be able to be in the top five teams in finals within the next six years, but for now we are there for the experience,” Davis said.
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