What a grand weekend it was for Polk County cheer teams at nationals at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex over the last two weekends.
Lakeland, which won the last three national championships, ended up placing fourth in the National High School Cheerleading Championship because of some unexpected roster challenges, which required an adjustment. In the end, though, the Dreadnaughts racked up a raw score of 81.7 and with deductions, a score of 79.7, which placed the program at fourth in the large non-tumbling division.
“We are extremely proud of their perseverance and the hard work they put in over the last several weeks,” Lakeland head cheer coach Crystal Abdon said. “This group represented our school with pride and determination on the national stage.
And it took several weeks to prepare for a multi-day event on Feb.6 in which Lakeland competed in the semifinals before going on to advance to finals.
But it wasn’t easy, as Lakeland needed several athletes to step into new roles, forming new stunt groups, taking on positions they had not performed before.
Strategically, the Dreadnaughts replaced the round-off full-up with a round-off up in the pyramid, which prioritized execution and consistency. In essence, the Dreadnaughts focused on clean technique and strong performance.
“Our athletes will take some much-deserved time to rest and recharge. We’ll begin offseason conditioning in about a month as we shift our focus toward preparing for next year. At this time, we are simply closing out the season and giving our athletes the break they’ve earned.”
Bartow
Bartow also finished fourth out of nine teams last weekend, but in the large coed, scoring 80.2.
The Yellowjackets displayed toss libs, front handspring pyramids with a drop toss rewind, and full ups. Also showcased was standing tucks, cartwheel tucks, full, and running tumbling.
“It feels amazing to have a full season as head coach and getting to experience the whole process on the other side,” Bartow head cheer coach Jovon Penny said. “Coming from being a Bartow athlete myself, coming home and getting to spread that knowledge and technique with the new generation is what made the season worthwhile for me and the whole alumni coaching staff.”
George Jenkins
The Eagles competed in All Out Grand Nationals in the medium co-ed division on Jan. 30, ending the season at with a first-place finish.
“(It) was incredibly rewarding. It felt like everything they worked toward all season finally came together at the right moment,” George Jenkins head cheer coach Kiley Viggiano-Ramseur said. “This season was truly special from start to finish. We watched our athletes grow in confidence, skill, and maturity, and saw them really come together as a team. There were long practices, tough days, and moments that pushed them outside their comfort zones, but they continued to show up for one another and trust the process.”
The junior varsity team also did well, placing second.
“We were also extremely proud of our JV team, who competed this season in the all-girl division. Their growth throughout the season was tremendous, especially competing all year in traditional, and watching their confidence and performance improve each time they took the floor was something special. Seeing both teams succeed and how excited and proud the kids were made this the perfect way to close out our season,” Viggiano-Ramseur said.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk County high school cheer teams stand tall at 2026 nationals
Reporting by Robert Magobet, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
