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Lauren Keeney smiles big during her final performance with TC Vortex. Photo credit: Grab the Lens Photography

NoMi cheer squads sweep Nationals

By Alexandra Dailey

Earlier this summer, two TC Cheer teams traveled south to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for the National Youth Activities Association (NYAA) Cheer Nationals. Overcoming odds and obstacles, the athletes of TC Vortex and TC Eclipse rose to the top—a testament to their determination, instruction, and teamwork—and each took first place in their respective divisions.

Foundational Base

TC Cheer—part of Champion Force Athletics, a nationwide youth sports organization—is open to boys and girls ages 4 to 18, with six different divisions that meet for three sessions during the year. Divisions 1-3 are for beginners, Division 4 is an intermediary level, and Divisions 5 and 6 are the elite divisions requiring a high degree of dedication and skill.

“Competitive cheerleading is a very difficult, extremely strenuous sport. We throw people in the air. They tumble, dance, and jump in addition to stunts while having to perform and keep their energy up. It is hard! But the rewards are tenfold,” says Brandy Keeney, head coach for Divisions 1-3 and assistant coach for Divisions 4-6.

Through the instruction and nurturing of Coach Keeney and Jerrilyn Pike, head coach for Divisions 4-6, the athletes bond, learn to trust one another, and become a family. For some kids, this setting is the only place they can be who they are free of judgment. Embracing and supporting each athlete is a huge part of TC Cheer.

“[This sport] empowers [individuals] to know they are an important part of the team. [Cheer] teaches confidence, teamwork, selfdiscipline, and gives [athletes] strength to keep going when things get tough,” says Coach Keeney.

Lauren Keeney, an 18-year-old graduated senior from the team, can attest to the tough and rewarding aspects of the sport: “New skills and new positions can bring a lot of nerves, and a lot of athletes, including myself, struggle with mental blocks,” she shares. “But being surrounded by so many amazing athletes and friends helped ease my nerves and push me through those blocks. The team is always so encouraging, which really helps.”

Forces of Nature

The elite divisions of TC Cheer—Vortex (Division 5) and Eclipse (Division 6)—are composed of athletes ages 9–18, with some individuals participating on both teams. While some competitive cheer teams have the option to practice every day, Vortex and Eclipse practice only one day a week for two hours and have tumbling once a week. But the athletes take it upon themselves to practice on their own time to constantly improve.

“They are super passionate about the sport of competitive cheerleading and give 110 percent,” says Coach Keeney. “In addition to that, TC Eclipse was actually formed halfway through the spring session, so they only had eight weeks to get their routine done before they took first place at the Michigan State competition.”

Both teams qualified for NYAA, but actually getting there wasn’t easy. To pay their way to Myrtle Beach, athletes fundraised by asking local businesses for sponsorships, collecting cans, and getting jobs to pay competition fees. Reaching New Heights

Their efforts paid off during the two full days of performances at NYAA, when Vortex and Eclipse swept the competition.

“The NYAA competition is a huge event with teams from all over the country. There were some amazingly talented athletes,” says Coach Keeney. “There aren’t words to describe how incredibly proud we are of these two teams. It has been nothing short of amazing to see the effort these athletes have put forth to hit a perfect routine at Nationals.”

According to Coach Keeney, these two teams have been through a lot together. They’ve had to say goodbye to teammates due to family moves and injuries and only had limited time to prepare for NYAA. With these factors combined, the athletes were shocked by the first day’s rankings, which gave Eclipse a 2.7-point lead.

“That’s a lot in cheerleading,” explains Coach Keeny. “Knowing that we only had half as much time as other teams to prepare made the win just that much more special. We knew all of us put in the effort and had done our job.”

“Competing at NYAA was absolutely amazing,” recalls Lauren, who competed with both Vortex and Eclipse. “The crowd was so pumped up, and a bunch of other teams came to watch and support us. It was fun to take to the stage with some of my best friends.” 17-year-old Isabella Grezner of Eclipse shares a similar sentiment: “It was such an unreal feeling, especially knowing how much work I’ve put into that moment.”

She adds, “I am incredibly proud of my team’s accomplishments. We went from getting last place at local competitions to winning against teams from states all over the U.S.”

Both teams also received “Club Zero” status in the competition, meaning no stunts fell, all tumbling landed, and no safety rules were violated. Because each athlete did their part, stuck each landing, and confidently struck each pose, no points were deducted from the teams’ scores.

“I think the kids said it best after they came off the mat at Nationals,” remarks Coach Keeney. “They told us it was like they were one brain on the mat. For 2 minutes and 30 seconds of non-stop action, it wasn’t 13 or eight kids on the stage; they were one. As a coach, I don’t know what’s more impressive than seeing these kids from all different backgrounds, social groups, and ages come together as one.”

Future Forecasting

Even though they’re all still flying high from their victories, TC Cheer is already looking ahead to the 2022-23 season.

“We are hoping to not only make it to NYAA Nationals next summer in Columbus, Ohio, but to the Summit Championship in Orlando, Florida, at the Disney ESPN Center,” says Coach Keeney. In addition, TC Cheer will also attend AllStar Cheerleading and Champion Force competitions in the coming year.

And as an incoming senior, Grezner is ready to make this year her best: “I’ve been with this program for 13 years, and this will be my last year cheering,” she says. “I am looking forward to giving this upcoming season everything I’ve got!” For more information about TC Cheer, visit championforce.com.