Aiming for number one

The Warriors’ cheer squad quickly moved three groups on the mats, then three off while tinkering with stunts. With only weeks to finalize and refresh routines before the United Spirit Association nationals held in Anaheim the last weekend of March, the squad is working double time to master the small changes despite having limited practice space.

Finding practice space is the team’s biggest drawback. This year the 30-member squad gained access to the six mats and began wearing mouth guards, new safety precautions for which Solis was thankful. But the mats are not big enough for the entire squad, meaning stunts are practiced in pieces and routines are often not done 100 percent until closer to or the day of a major competition.

Despite this challenge, Solis and her squad are pumped to return to nationals in hopes of placing. And those on the squad think this will be the year.

Seventeen-year-old Nicole Duff has been cheering since her freshman year. The squad last went to nationals two years ago. This year’s squad is the largest the school has had. Duff, a senior, said the numbers were confusing at first, but also makes the routines better visually.

"Cheerleading is so much harder now,” Duff said of the sport in general, adding the squad has improved to meet the changing requirements.

"This year we’re in it to win it,” she said.

This year’s 30-member competition squad is the combination of the school’s junior varsity and varsity squads. Some of this year’s members are not only new to the South City squad, but are new to cheering in general.

Everyone has worked hard to come together, said Duff. "You would think we’d been together since freshman year.”

Sophomore Ashley Nand, 16, was new to the sport her freshman year. She was looking for an athletic outlet and was encouraged to try cheerleading since she has a happy demeanor.

"I was drawn to it,” she said.

This year has been harder and the bid to nationals has added a reason to focus, she said. The routine is being refreshed before heading to Southern California. Although the competition is at the end of the month, some of the squad’s teens will be out of town on a field trip for the week leading up to nationals. Basically, the squad is faced with getting the changes done now and mastering the moves in the coming weeks.

Nand was hopeful the community would support the squad.

"We want you to believe in us, because we believe in ourselves,” she said.

South City placed fourth at a regional competition in Davis late last year earning a bid to nationals later this month. Although much of the routine is staying the same, the squad is changing small portions to keep it fresh and continue to improve the routine overall.

Regardless of the changes, the group’s message remains the same: South San Francisco is aiming for the top. And the squad isn’t shy about letting others know.

"There’s only room for one at the top,” the squad cheered altogether Thursday. "Sorry, that’s our spot.”

Heather Murtagh can be reached by e-mail: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105.