Jupiter High’s competitive cheerleading team received two bids to the National High School Cheerleading Championship on Dec. 5 in the Tampa Bay regional competition. The national competition will take place at the Walt Disney World Resort from Feb. 11 to Feb. 13, 2022.

The team received their bids in both the game day category, where they perform cheers they usually do on the sideline of a sports game, and the medium varsity traditional category, where they perform tumbling and stunting mixed in with cheering. They placed first in both categories at their most recent competition on Dec. 18.

“We are very happy with the way things are progressing this season. The team has been working extremely hard to make sure they are ready for the state tournament and nationals,” Kimberly Beine, head coach, said.

Beine has been coaching the team for over 20 years, and her experience brings motivation and confidence to the cheerleaders.

“She is just a great coach,” Cecelia Oneid, sophomore, said. “She really knows how to handle the girls one at a time at a competition. We were struggling with a stunt right before we went on, and she left it up to us if we wanted to go for it, and it worked out. She always lets us decide for ourselves what we want to do.”

To prepare for their upcoming competitions, the girls plan on practicing consistently and keeping their minds sharp.

“We made our practices a little longer when preparing for regionals, and had five a week instead of four,” Oneid said. “We will probably do that again when preparing for nationals so we are able to be at peak condition going into the competition.”

Oneid has goals of mastering and honing her tumbling skills, and wants to be able to compete at a high level in her junior and senior years.

“We set high expectations and standards that we push the girls to reach individually and as a team,” Beine said. “Coaches are hands-on and vary coaching styles to meet each athlete’s learning and performance needs.”

Alicia Dillard, senior, is looking forward to the bond of the girls and seeing how they end the year. She sets high standards for herself, including a personal goal to hit all of her stunts for the remainder of the season.

“I plan on preparing for nationals by working as hard as I can for the next few months and keeping a strong mindset,” Dillard said.

According to Beine, the cheerleaders are upgrading their routine with more difficult stunts in order to give the girls more confidence and excitement during their routine. Those qualities showed this weekend, where the girls were able to succeed in their goal of winning first place.

“I felt amazing when competing this weekend,” Dillard said. “I felt that the energy was really good and we could just tell we were going to hit. When we won I was over the moon with excitement.”

Dillard is one of the nine seniors on the team and is a crucial part of their success. 

“Our seniors are incredible leaders on and off the mat,” Beine said. “They are always doing what they can to make sure the team has a close bond and share the traditions of our team culture.”