Competitive Cheer | 2/17/2020 11:07:00 PM
Photo by Micah Gilbert
McPherson, Kan. – It has been a most productive week for the McPherson College cheer team. In the past seven days, the Bulldog cheer team competed in a pair of competitions, each time receiving a score from the judges that set a new program best.
The competition week began last Wednesday when the Bulldogs hosted their first ever competition at the Sport Center. The Bulldogs took on the Sterling College Warriors in a dual, and came out on top, with a score of 64.8 to 41. Three days later, the Bulldogs were in Ottawa, Kansas participating in a competition hosted by the Ottawa University Braves. The Bulldogs finished in third place with a score of 66.55, nearly two points higher than their previous best.
Ashlee Annis, in her second year at the helm of the Bulldog cheer program commented on the two performances saying, "Getting to compete in a home competition was a big milestone for this program. The team came out Wednesday ready to perform. They put in a lot of work to correct a few problem areas in the routine and had a goal of improving on the score we received at the Sterling Invitational. The work proved worth it in the end as the judges noted significant improvement in the overall routine. Our focus this year has been on constantly improving our overall routine score, not focusing on any other teams, but rather, controlling what we can control on the mat. I truly believe this has made the difference in our progress as a program. Coming out of Wednesday's Dual with a new program record showed this team that the hard work is paying off."
She went on to add about the competition Saturday at Ottawa, "For the first time this season, we went into a competition without significant changes to our routine. I believe this allowed the team to settle into our routine and focus on performance value. This team is becoming more and more confident with each competition and it really showed Saturday. With Saturday's showing, this team raised the bar to new heights and they haven't even reached the peak of their ability. Finishing the day with not only a top three finish but also breaking the program record yet again has this team eager to continue the success as we get ready for conference next week."
The Bulldogs seem to be peaking at just the right time. They will take the confidence they have gained over the last two competitions into the KCAC Championships in Kansas City this upcoming weekend.
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