The Cheer Team’s Journey To National Competition

Grace Vaccaro, Staff Writer

For the past four years, Oneonta’s Club Cheer Team has placed first at its National Competition in Hershey Park. These notable wins are proof of this team’s dedication and hard work. Captains Phoebe Miale and Giana Conforti have been making sure the team is putting in effort throughout the entire year. 

Cheerleading is a sport that contains a mix of athleticism and performance. It takes an incredible amount of strength and endurance to perform any of their routines. 

The cheer team begins its process at the beginning of the fall semester, where recruits try out for a spot on the team. The team takes on a wide range of skills, from people who have been cheering their entire lives to people who have never cheered before. 

Once the team is finalized, their stunt groups are created. These groups will work together for the rest of the year. There are either four or five members in each group, consisting of the main and side bases, a flyer, and the backspot. With new people joining the team each year, groups need to adapt and learn to work with new members. 

Freshman Olivia Retcho has loved her experience on the cheer team. Olivia has been cheering since she was seven and hoped she would be able to cheer in college. Ever since making the team, she has been a part of so many amazing opportunities and events. Some fundraising events that have been held were their Pie-A-Cheerleader in the fall and a spring bake sale.  

Olivia believes that the moment she joined the team, she immediately made twenty–five new best friends who would always be there to support her. This team has helped her “understand the value of teamwork.” She looks forward to their National Competition on April 25th, 2026. She encourages anyone interested in cheer to try out for the team next year, as it is something that they won’t ever regret. 

For the cheer team, the fall semester focuses on preparing to cheer at basketball games and forming their routine for Nationals. When the spring semester began, you could spot the cheer team on the sidelines at basketball games and performing at halftime. Their halftime routine was a simplified version of their Nationals routine, with a combination of stunts, jumps, and dance.  

This semester, the cheer team has been working tirelessly to get their full routine for Nationals spotless. Practice was increased from twice a week to three times a week to ensure they use as much of their limited time as they can. One of the most difficult parts of their routine is the stunt pyramid. This involves all stunt groups working together. In the pyramid, the final moment consists of a flyer in a split balancing on top of two other flyers. 

We wish the cheer team good luck at their National Competition. Everyone at Oneonta is excited to cheer them on. We hope they continue their winning streak and bring home the trophy for Oneonta!