The Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) held tryouts for their All-American varsity team over the summer. Five SV cheerleaders tried out and made the cut.

      Seniors Mikaela Kozlowski, Emily Bird, Greta Jenkins, Esther Song, and Brianna Glock were invited to Orlando, FL from Nov. 22 through Nov. 25 to perform at Universal Studios with other All-American cheerleaders.

     “Being part of All-American was a big accomplishment for me because I’ve never gotten an award that universal for being a cheerleader. It’s a very unique award, so I felt special that I was good enough to be in All-American and to perform in front of people in Florida,” Glock said.

     Tryouts for All-American have previously been held at UCA cheer camps in the summer, but since Covid-19 resulted in the cancellation of these camps, cheerleaders had to try out virtually.

     “We were presented the opportunity by coach Jessica [Latimer] and we were sent a dance [from UCA Staff] that we had to learn and record ourselves doing it- I just did it in my backyard. We had to send it in through YouTube and then wait for a response through our emails as to whether we got in or not,” Kozlowski said.

     Once they made the team, the cheerleaders were sent uniforms, itinerary, and another dance to learn for the performance in Orlando.

     “[The other cheerleaders and I] met up before and after practice for a few weeks to work on this dance for our performance,” Glock said.

     The cheerleaders spent free time in Orlando between practices and meetings to explore Universal Studios and bond with fellow teammates. By performance time, they had also met and formed friendships with cheerleaders from other schools across the country.

    “It was really exciting to see the girls perform. They were having a great time, they all did a fantastic job, they were prepared, and I think just knowing all these girls since they were middle school age and seeing them get to do something fun their senior year since it’s been a challenging and different year was a great feeling. It made me smile and cry at the same time,” Latimer said.

     According to Varsity.com, only the top 12% of athletes who attend the camps earn the chance to perform.

     “My greatest takeaway [from All-American] was probably the determination and the work that I had to put in all these years cheering in order to get to where I am today,” Kozlowski said.

     SV cheer plans to participate in years to come.

     “It’s a great opportunity for our team in the future. In the past, girls have tried out and been selected but never participated in the events, so I’m glad we participated this year. I think now that we know what it’s about we should definitely participate in the future,” Latimer said.