Cheer season reached its zenith for the Chaps with the Aubrey Lady Chaparrals Cheerleading Squad taking part in the UIL Spirit State Championships held at the Fort Worth Convention Center on Jan. 15-17, finishing 12th.
The Lady Chaps faced off with 61 other teams from across the state, earning a Top 20 placement.
“The team executed everything very well,” Aubrey head cheer coach Jessica Hurley said. “The sheer volume alone was incredible. You could also tell that they had so much fun competing in that final round, and I’m extremely proud of them.”
The teams were graded on crowd leading, band chant and fight song categories, with the Top 20 teams qualifying to compete in the finals.
The Lady Chaps finished the qualifying round with a combined total of 172.8, earning their spot as one of the top teams in 4A Division I.
The squads are given the opportunity to perform two cheers in the finals, and Aubrey finished with a combined score of 80.3, finishing 12th out of the 62 teams.
“We put a lot of time and effort into this, which included long practices, constant adjustments and staying mentally strong,” Aubrey Cheer co-captain Asia’h Dallas said. “Every practice was a test of our physical and mental strength and about pushing to the limits in order to get the results we wanted. When we finally stepped on that mat in Fort Worth, everyone gave it all they had, and all that hard work showed in our energy, motions, and overall faith we had in one another.”
Dallas said seeing the strong support from the Aubrey community that made the trip to Fort Worth lifted the squad’s spirit even more.
“Seeing all of our friends and family gave us that extra support we needed,” she said. “Knowing that there are so many people that believe in us was truly heartwarming and pushed us even harder to give it our all.”
Hurley also thanked Aubrey Cheer co-captain Preslee Martino, who was unable to participate because of a prior obligation, for helping the team prepare for the competition.
