Drury Cheerleaders have started their spring semester on a high note as they return to campus having placed second in the Team Cheer Premier Small Coed division and fourth at the University World Cup Cheerleading Championships. The team left to compete in Orlando, Fl. during the weekend of January 12. But before they found glory on the mat, they put in hours of practice during a time when other Drury students were at home and visiting with family.

Drury cheerleaders celebrating their win.
Photo via Drury Cheerleading

Drury’s 29 cheerleaders earned their place as second in the nation. During winter they had two-hour practices both in the morning and at night and were only allotted five days to go home to celebrate Christmas and to be with family. Drury’s cheer team’s commitment was more than apparent as they sacrificed their winter break in order to best prepare for nationals. While other students were visiting with friends and family and watching hours of Netflix, Drury cheer was preparing. But preparation did not stop once they left for Orlando, the journey had only begun.

Once in Orlando, the teams schedule was focused on practicing and perfecting their performance. They were able to practice on the football field of Disney’s All-Star sports resort leading up to the competition, a far cry from their midwestern roots. During this time, not only did they have to perfect their technique but they also had to get into the right mindset amidst the nerves that come with preforming. When the time came on the morning of Jan. 13, each team would get three minutes which included a cheer and music portion. All their time and effort would rest on those three minutes.

Drury cheerleader Beau Berry holding the team’s trophy.
Photo via Drury Cheerleading

Drury cheerleader Beau Berry said, “I believe that we all knew that we were ready for this moment and we had prepared for it the best we could. I definitely think that there is always going to be some form of nerves that’s lying on your stomach but I believe that we took those nerves and channeled them into a great performance.” He went on to explain the feelings he had during the final competition. “In our finals performance we were very happy. We left everything we could on the mat, we fought for everything, and coming out second place was a feeling that we couldn’t really describe because it was so heartwarming. It was just one of the happiest moments of our lives, if I do say so myself.”

Their victory will be remembered as the sixth time in the last seven years that the Panthers cheer squad has finished in the top five at the national competition. More importantly, it is the first time the Panthers cheer squad has finished second in the nation for Division II schools. After nationals, the team got a day and a half of free time to explore Disney: A welcome reprieve from the rigorous training they were used to. At the end of their journey they were able to bond as a team and finally relax after the nerves of performing had subsided. Our cheerleaders found happiness and made Drury history at “the happiest place on earth,” and Drury is proud to welcome them home.

Article written by Ciera Duban