Butler cheering squad takes 7th at UCA nationals
BUTLER TWP — Seventh place and climbing — hopefully.
Butler's varsity competitive cheerleaders placed seventh out of 34 teams in the small coed division of the Universal Cheerleading Association (UCA) National Championships recently in Orlando, Fla.
There were 34 teams competing in that division. Blackman High School, from Tennessee, won the division for the third consecutive year with an overall score of 94.
The Golden Tornado's score was 85.3.
“We had four to six points deducted from our performance there last year (Butler's first as a coed team,) and finished 12th,” coach Marianne Miller said. “Without those deductions, we'd have been fifth or sixth. Still, we made it to finals.”
The top 15 teams advance to the finals.
“This year, we only had half a point deducted for a slight bobble. Our performance was outstanding. The kids did everything they could do to be successful and rightfully felt that way when it was over,” Miller said.
To place among the top 10 nationally while only in its second year in coed “is a tremendous achievement,” Miller said. “All of those other teams are dynasty-type programs that have been coed for a lot of years.”
The question now is whether Butler will remain a coed competitive cheering team next year or go back to being an all-female squad.
All three males on this year's team — Nathan Baker, Logan Donnel and J.R. Herold — are seniors. The other three seniors on the team are Logan Francis, Kamryn Heller and Aliegh Kradel.
“We had a special group of seniors this year,” Miller said. “The other kids on the squad really looked up to them and followed their lead.
“Our seniors were positive role models in that sense.”
Miller remains hopeful that boys will try out for the 2019-20 team later this year.
“Any guys who have been wondering about what it's like should just come out and try it,” she said. “See what cheerleading really is instead of the perception of it.
“The boys we've had in the program have been impressed by the physicality of it. The biggest thing is commitment. People have to come in willing to work because it is a time commitment. It can be grueling.
“I like us as a coed team. It's a nice environment and I like that niche we've made a lot,” Miller added.
But if no boys show up for tryouts, she has no problem with the program going back to being an all-female team.
“We'll work with whoever we've got,” Miller said. “Whatever the situation, we'll make it work.”
Miller's assistant coaches are Cristin Karam and Kylie Thoma.
“I loved the attitude our team had at nationals,” Miller said. “They didn't care where they placed as long as they hit the routine and gave their all. They went out there full of confidence and did exactly that.
“They have a lot to be proud of.”
