This weekend was an exciting one for KC Cheer as we traveled to Orlando, Fla to compete in the World Championships of All-Star cheerleading at Disney’s Wide World of Sports. For the first time since 2007 we brought two teams to Worlds, and for the first time in gym history both teams placed in the top 10 of their divisions! We are overjoyed to share this news with you, and couldn’t be prouder of our Level 5 teams.
Fearless made its Worlds debut in the Large Senior division this weekend. The Large Senior division is the smallest division at Worlds with only eight teams, but definitely one of the hardest. Large Senior is often so small because most gyms are too intimidated to field a Large Senior team for fear they will have to compete against the likes of Cheer Extreme Senior Elite, World Cup Shooting Stars, Cheer Athletics Panthers, and The Stingray Allstars Orange. The ladies of Fearless lived up to their name and didn’t even think twice about the task at hand. They held their own beautifully in such amazing company. They were up bright and early for an 8:36 a.m. performance at the HP Fieldhouse on Sunday in the semi-final competition. The Fieldhouse was PACKED, and they received a huge wave of applause as they became the very first team to hit a routine in the semi-final competition. They ended the day advancing to finals in 7th place.
On Monday, Fearless competed in the Final round of competition on the baseball field at Disney’s Wide World of Sports. This was a brand new venue this year, set up in order to accommodate the huge number of fans who were dying to see the eight Large Senior teams perform for the final time in the 2014 season. The stands were completely full, and ESPN cameras were set up to film the entire session. It was an amazing sight to see, and the competition ended with a fireworks display. It was truly something out of a movie. In the Finals round Fearless hit another near deduction free-routine, and had the least amount of mistakes of any team in their division on Monday evening. They finished the competition in 7th place, which is a huge accomplishment for a brand new team. They definitely helped to further solidify the KC Cheer presence in the All-Star Cheerleading industry. “When you talk to me you say ‘yes ma’am.’ FEARLESS, oh yes I am!”
Fierce 5 arrived in Florida this weekend on a mission to dominate the Senior Small Coed division. With 91 teams, it is the deepest division at the competition. Fierce 5 was able to bypass the preliminary round thanks to their paid bid win at America’s Best last December. After prelims, the division shrank from 91 to 51, and Fierce 5 had to beat out 41 of those teams to make it to Finals on Monday. On Sunday Fierce 5 took the floor in brand new uniforms sponsored by (Illusive?). They were almost as excited to debut their new uniforms as they were to show off their unassisted double ups on the Worlds mat. They were the only team in the division to even attempt such a difficult skill, and the crowd went absolutely nuts when they hit. Overall, Fierce 5 put on a great performance with only a few mistakes. It was enough for them to advance to Finals in 7th place! The athletes were so excited, as Fierce 5 has been competing as a team at Worlds since 2009 and this was the highest finish they have ever had after semi-finals. It is also the first time they have made it to finals since 2010!
On Monday afternoon Fierce 5 took the mat in the Fieldhouse on a mission to prove themselves as one of the best in the World. They put on a great show, but due to technical difficulties the music skipped, causing a couple of mistakes that likely would not have happened otherwise. Michael and Kristi reviewed the mistakes with officials, and the USASF gave them the option to perform again. This was a huge decision because if they elected to perform again they would be judged on their second performance, regardless of whether it was better than the first or not. The athletes were motivated and focused and accepted the challenge head on when they decided to go again. They went out on the floor a second time that day and executed an amazing routine with fewer mistakes than the first performance. It was a true test of their drive and focus as a team, and they passed with flying colors. After a very tight competition, Fierce 5 won 4th place in the Senior Small Coed division, right behind California All-Stars SMOED, Brandon All-Stars Senior Black and Louisiana Cheerforce Gold.
We could not be more elated to share this news with you, and we could not be prouder of all of our level 5 athletes. They have worked so hard all season to give us two of the most talented teams this gym has ever seen. The drive, motivation, and dedication we ask of them in order to put these routines on the Worlds mat is massive, and both teams consistently rose to the challenge all season long and made us extraordinarily proud. Many coaches and industry leaders were talking about KC Cheer all weekend long, and spectators and fans were truly impressed by our showing this past weekend at worlds. We are humbled and honored to be in such impressive company in both of these divisions and be able to give such amazing performances. We want to thank all of the parents and athletes in the entire program for their overwhelming support and encouragement. The fact that we are able to share this news with all of you has made the success that much sweeter.
Congratulations to Fierce 5 and Fearless, we can’t wait to see what you’ll do next season!