• Rubi Reyes •
• Originally published January 15, 2009 at 12:07 a.m., updated January 15, 2009 at 12:07 a.m.

She tightened her ponytail and fixed her bobby pins while trying to catch her breath.

Seventh-grader Kaela Moone and the 15 other girls on the cheer squad had just finished an intense two and a half-minute routine.

The Patti Welder cheer squad was preparing for its final regional competition on Saturday. The Panthers will defend their national championship during February and March competitions.

They have performed the same routine at all competitions.

"We've put a lot of hard work into our routine, and we hope to place first again," Kaela said.

The squad has earned first place in all three regional competitions it has competed in this year.

"Making sure we are all tight with our motions and stunts is not easy," Kaela said.

"We try to practice every day after school," said the team's sponsor, Norma Gutierrez.

The girls practice four times a week and attend a gymnastics class of their choice on Wednesdays.

"Let's go ladies, you have to be sharper in the middle," Gutierrez yelled.

The girls ran to their spots and waited for the music. They each had big smiles and tried to hit motions to near perfection.

"She only yells because she knows we can do better," Kaela said.

After the routine, some girls sat on the mat while others stood as they took instruction from Gutierrez.

"You need to be tighter," she said. "We don't walk to the next spot with our arms all over the place, they should be by your side."

The girls got a drink of water and jogged to their spot.

"Come on ladies, let's go, stop wasting time," Gutierrez said.

Girls tumbled across the mat and two stunt groups stood in the back as two girls were tossed.

"I just love performing, and all this hard work is worth it," Kaela said.

Competing and coming away with a victory is what we enjoy the most, Shellby Soto, eighth-grader, said.

"I've been competing for three years, and I get excited each time we win," Shellby said.

But like any other sport, cheerleading is without injury.

"I get hit in the face from time to time because I am the base," Kaela said.

The base of the stunt holds up the girls doing the high flying, she said. The base is in charge of keeping the stunt together and ensuring the flyer, the girl on top, does not fall.

"When they do fall, we have to try our best to catch them and some times that means getting hit," Kaela said.

The flyer has to stay tight and try to hit every motion. The spot, a person behind the stunt, ensures the stunt and flyer stay up.

"Flying can be scary," Brittany Romanowski, sixth-grader, said.

"But I know they'll catch me if I fall."

The girls work together and give each other pointers to make sure that each performance is the best it can be, Gutierrez said.

And that perfection just might lead to another national title.

• 2008-2009 COMPETITIONS WON

  1st place, Oct. 26 Regionals in Houston

  1st place and High Point Award, Nov. 16 Regionals in San Marcos

  1st place, Dec. 13 Regionals in Corpus Christi

  UPCOMING COMPETITIONS

  Saturday Regionals in Houston

  Feb. 20 - 22 ...

• SHOW ALL »

2008-2009 COMPETITIONS WON

1st place, Oct. 26 Regionals in Houston

1st place and High Point Award, Nov. 16 Regionals in San Marcos

1st place, Dec. 13 Regionals in Corpus Christi

UPCOMING COMPETITIONS

Saturday Regionals in Houston

Feb. 20 - 22 Nationals in Austin

March 6 to 8 Nationals in Houston

TO JOIN

Cheerleading applications for the 2009-10 school year will be ready the first week of March. For more information call Gutierrez at 361-575-4553.

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