On Saturday, Oct. 5, Princess Anne High School’s cheerleading team won first place at the UCA Virginia Regional competition at Deep Run High School in Richmond. Their performance earned them a bid to the UCA National High School Cheer Championship.
The PA Cheerleading team competed in the GameDay division, a category that showcases sideline cheer performances. They competed in this new division for the first time in school history. According to PA Cheer Coach Tony Hulub, their routine, which included a band dance, crowd response cheer, and fight song, earned enough points to secure their division win and the national bid. Additionally, Princess Anne’s competition team participated in the traditional cheer category and finished third. Junior Taryn Riffle, a team captain, expressed her joy at earning the national bid: “I was super happy when we were the division winner for nationals. It felt like all of our hard work had finally paid off.”
Hulub emphasizes the team’s progress this season. “It was really nice to perform in front of teams from across the state, and the amount of growth between last season and now is incredible,” Hulub said. Team captain senior Kayla Abuel expressed her love for cheer, stating, “I am eternally proud of my team.”
This year, Hulub states that the team has worked hard behind the scenes, purchasing new props like flags, signs, and pom-poms to enhance their performances and spirit at football games. “But beyond winning, our goal for the season [was] to have fun, make more traditions, and create lasting memories,” he says.
