Julia Harrison – LRHS News
(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL) – The LRHS cheerleading team shined in regionals last weekend earning a first place trophy in the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) competition. The event took place at Freedom High School in Tampa.
The team will continue to represent LRHS at the state competition Jan. 30 at Kissimmee Sports.
“If you look at the first competition to the last competition it’s amazing how much better we are,” said varsity coach Melissa Koehlinger.
Unlike previous years, this year the competition team is very diverse with a mix of freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors comprising a 26 member team. Past teams mostly featured upperclassmen. Also, this year a competition team was made from JV and varsity athletes whereas in other years only the varsity team competed.
Senior Courtney Scott said it was an emotional moment.
“Everyone was crying after the results were announced,” said Scott. “This year has been tough and I’m glad to see all our hard work pay off. We did the best we’ve ever done at the competition.”
The Mustangs trampled on rival schools Manatee High School and Braden River High School to win the trophy. The team has been to the state competition every year since 2008 and placed third every year except one.
Senior Kelly Miller said, “Considering it’s my senior year I couldn’t be happier with our team’s progress. I’m proud of everyone and looking forward to competing in states.”