The Broughton cheerleading squad came in third place at the NCHSAA State Championship competition on Saturday, December 2 at the convention center in downtown Raleigh.
Around 158 schools from all across North Carolina participated in the competition.
Teams were placed into divisions based of the size of their varsity or junior varsity team. Broughton competed in the small varsity D1- B division.
The Caps were defending champions in their division. This year they fell short of defending their title by just 5 points, coming in 3rd out of 8 teams in the division.
The tough loss came from a defeat by Cardinal Gibbons placing first and Richmond High School finishing just behind, in second place.
The performance was enough to earn the team a spot in nationals which will be held February 10-11 in Orlando, Florida.
“ It was a good experience” varsity cheerleader Saije Gordon said.
The athletes look to keep improving as they move into nationals.
Cheer coach Margaret Elvers said the girls did well but they are ready to work.
“If you want to be the best, there are no shortcuts. You have to do the work!” Elvers said.
The teams practice schedule reflects this idea.
The team meets three times a week starting in July and will continue practicing until March.
This requires a huge commitment from the cheerleaders, but this commitment pays off in the form of championships.
The team is the defending state and national champions.