Wednesday, February 26, 2003
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Wednesday, February 26, 2003 |
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Fayetteville's Tucs Cheer Lab wins national title "We did it! We did it!" Those were the words uttered over and over again by Tucs Cheer Lab parents, coaches and dozens of other fans, as they watched their Youth All Star Competitive Cheerleading team claim their first national championship title at the Athletic Championships in Chattanooga, Tenn. More than 250 cheer and dance teams, equaling roughly 5,000 athletes, converged on Chattanooga this past weekend for the event. Tucs' youth team, mainly comprised of local fifth- and sixth-graders, competed against nine other regionally and nationally ranked teams to claim their victory. "Our Youth team competed against several very established gyms," said TUCS co-owner, head All-Star coach, and industry renowned coach Lance Stella. "These gyms have been competing for years and ours is so young, we really only hoped to gain experience for our teams. We never expected to walk away with a win at a competition of this caliber, not yet anyway. These kids have worked long and hard and have come a long way in a short amount of time. This win is absolute evidence of what can be accomplished with hard work and dedication." The win didn't come without some tense moments though. The TUCS crowd held their collective breath as the team took to the stage for Sunday's final round of competitions. Seated in first place following Saturday's performance, the young team found themselves fighting for top honors against several more experienced gyms. Youth team member Lindsey Purcell of Tyrone, 11, credits the motivational talk that coach Stella had with the team prior to taking the floor with the win. "He told us not to give up, no matter what happens don't give up," recalled Purcell. Those words were whispered over and over again by each team member throughout the routine. "I could see everyone fighting with everything they had in order to perform a clean routine, and we did it!" said a very proud Purcell. Much to the delight of the thousands of spectators, the team went on to deliver a flawless routine, claim the top prize and the national bragging rights that go along with it. Tucs Cheer Lab, located in Fayetteville, opened their doors less than two years ago and producing a national championship team in that amount of time is relatively rare in the sport. To it's credit, Tucs has experienced unprecedented growth, consistent with the unbelievable growth the sport of competitive cheerleading has experienced across the country. The gym, which boasts a total of six competitive cheer and dance teams, placed in the top three in five of the six categories they competed in. Not far behind the youth team was the pee-wee and advanced junior teams, both of whom finished second, and the senior team who finished third, in very competitive divisions. The dance team performed two dances, placing second in one dance and third in another. Following a difficult performance on Saturday, the junior co-ed team finished the competition with a strong performance on Sunday, placing sixth overall. "Placing in the top ten at a national competition is commendable, top five is impressive, and top three is just unbelievable," said Pee-Wee head coach Katie Stella. "All of our teams really gave it their all and came out of this competition winners. We are very proud of every athlete in this gym." What's next for the gym? "We are preparing for another national championship series in Orlando in March," says Coach Stella, still elated with the placement of all six teams. "We will be working even harder to bring another national championship title back to Fayette County." All-Star team tryouts are being scheduled in April. Teams are determined by age and ability, ranging from kindergarten to high school seniors. Girls and boys are invited and encouraged to call the gym for more information on the Cheer and Dance All Star teams, as well as tumbling for all skill levels. A tryout clinic will be held in March for anyone interested in perfecting their skills prior to middle and high school team tryouts. Anyone interested can contact the gym at 770-716-1288, or visit the Web site, www.tucscheerlab.com.
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