Two of the three cheer teams of Coastal Georgia Athletics have competed in their national competitions in Orlando, as both the Chrome and Platinum squads earned big victories.
All three cheer squads won their divisions at the VIP Championships on Jekyll Island back in April to get to the national stage. They also earned the high point award for their levels.
Lady Still earned the award for Most Creative routine of Level 3. Chrome earned Best Tumbling and Most Creative of Level 1, and Platinum took home Most Creative, Best Tumbling and Best Building of Level 2.
“Keeping cheer alive through COVID has been quite a challenge this season,” said CGA owner and coach Matt Gay. “But it has been well worth it to bring our athletes some sense of normalcy while developing the resiliency and perseverance necessary to overcome adversity and adapt to an ever-changing world. I could not be more proud of the growth our athletes and staff have made this season.”
The first team to compete at nationals was Chrome, as they competed at East Coast Nationals in Orlando, where they won first place.
“Before Nationals, we knew the competition would be stiff, and therefore we upgraded their routine to hit high category rankings in difficulty,” said Allstar Director and CGA coach Rachel Condit. “These girls met this challenge with such grace and drive. All we asked of them was to hit their routine.
“Once they hit their routine on stage with zero deductions and the highest score of the season, we were overwhelmed with emotions. We coaches, at this point, were not worried about placement. The girls set out a goal and accomplished it. We could not have been more proud of them. Once they were called in first place, we knew this would be a memory they would cherish forever.”
Platinum was the next CGA team to compete at The One Cheer and Dance Finals, where they were also victorious and won the title.
Coaches said this two-day event brought out the team’s resiliency as the venue suffered a few power outages throughout the first day, causing delays and no air conditioning.
The lack of A/C left the team hot and tired, but they rolled with the situation and hit zero, putting them in first place after Day 1. Then their Day 2 performance had a few minor mishaps, which increased the suspense when it came time to announce winners.
Coaches said they huddled around a phone waiting for the virtual award ceremony to get started, and the suspense lingered. However, once they were announced as the One Champions, screams and tears of joy rang out.
Melissa Hannum, a parent of a Platinum team member, said she couldn’t even begin to explain how excited they were.
“The anticipation of waiting and waiting for the results to be announced and then there were tears of joy,” Hannum said. “ I have never been so proud of a group of girls before in my life — I can’t wait for the new season to start.”
Lady Steel will be the last group to compete later this month at the D2 Summit at Disney World in Orlando.
Registration for CGA is now open. For more information, check out their website at CGAcheer.com. Evaluations for their 14th season start this month.
