Jupiter High competitive cheer team dominates

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Jupiter High’s competitive cheer team made their way to the top, placing first at the state competition in Gainesville and fourth in the nation.

 

“Oh my gosh … Winning states was I think was the best feeling ever,” sophomore cheerleader Kylie Mansfield said.

 

After the first day of the national competition, the girls were in first place. And they were excited to show the judges their precision and skill.

 

“We wanted to show them what Jupiter was made of; we went out and killed our last routine of the season,” Mansfield said.

 

When it came to practice for nationals, Jupiter High’s cheer team did not mess around. Coach Kim Beine had one word to describe practice, “Intense!”

 

“As competitions get close, we zone in on the skills that need perfecting. We tend to focus on stunt and tumble which are the two hardest areas of the routine. We also focus on making improvements needed to max out the score sheet,” Beine said.

 

Mansfield agreed that practices were intense but necessary for a championship-level team.

 

“Winter break practices were from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. … working our butts off to make ourselves better as a team,” Mansfield said.

 

She went on to explain that becoming part of the varsity cheer team takes a lot of time and commitment.

 

“Being a varsity cheerleaders at JHS is a huge commitment,” Beine said. “Their season is from August through February which includes football sideline, basketball sideline and competitive. This means that they attend all practices, games, competitions, team building events, fundraisers and community service events. The team also practices through Thanksgiving and winter break and participates in summer camps. During our off season each individual continues with private training in order to increase their own skill level.”

 

Teamwork, confidence and perseverance were the keys to being a top-ranking cheer team.

 

“Honestly, it takes grit to be a Warrior cheerleader,” Beine said. “When things get tough (and trust me—it does), you have to rise up to the challenge. The sport has to be your passion in order to compete at the national level. It takes a huge commitment from the athletes. They have to buy into the program philosophy, be able to run through road blocks, have faith in their teammates, commit to a loaded schedule, work with their whole heart all of the time, and never give up,” Beine said.