Cheer team reaches goal - Syracuse Journal-Democrat

April 23, 2019 at 02:23AM

Burlington YMCA Allstars will compete in D2 Summit contest in May.

They are teammates, sisters, family. They are the Burlington YMCA Allstars cheerleading team and have earned a spot in the D2 Summit national competition.

"It's nice to see them love each other like sisters," said heat coach Ashley Sherwood. "They really support each other. … It's a real awesome environment."

The eight girls on the senior squad have been in the local gym tumbling, jumping and spinning their hearts out in preparation for the big stage, which will be May 10-12 in Orlando, Florida.

"It's awesome experience to work with a smaller group that are figuring things out," said Sherwood. "It's neat to see them have these goals and achieve them."

They practice four times a week for a couple hours each time. They meet to begin the workout and thendo stretching and tumbling drills. Once they have a spring in their steps, they work on stunts, which include stacking girls rising high in the gym.

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Then it's time to run through the routine. It's two minutes and 30 seconds of pure energy. It's fast-paced, non-stop, pulse-pounding action.

"It's a fun rush of excitement when you are done," said team member Mallory Machholz, 13, of Burlington, of the routine. She joined the program years ago to meet new people and, like her teammates, is happy about reaching their goal to make it to the D2 Summit.

"I'm excited. It's going to be a fun experience for all of us," she said.

The work to win the bid came years ago. The girls on the Senior 3 team have been in the gym since they were tykes. Almost a decade of effort has gone into this opportunity. This year, they got a choreographer to create a program. Tasha Prickett, Burlington YMCA Gymnastics team coach, helped them with tumbling drills and conditioning.

"It's rewarding for them to take the drills and improve their tumbling and accepting me to help them," said Prickett.

"I love experiencing new things and learning new skills," said McKenzie Reichman, 15, of Burlington. "You really have to push yourself, but its worth it in the end."

The bid came after a competition in Rochester, Minnesota, in the Battle for the Northern Star. After the contest, Battle for the Northern Star and D2 Summit sponsor Varsity All Star released the winners on a video. The Burlington squad beat out more than a dozen teams to claim a wild card bid.

"It was nerve-wracking to watch the video," said Sherwood. "It's such an awesome experience that we met this goal and conquered it."

"It's a big achievement for us. Never in a million years did I think we would go," said Amiya Davis, 14, of West Burlington.

Go they will. This band of girls who call each other family work hard without a complaint. Smiles and laughs complimented with grit and determination.

"It's like my second family," said Alli Jern, 15, of West Burlington, "We spend a lot of time together and get real close."

"I've been doing it for nine years and fell in love with the sport," said Alyssa Ruther, 14, of West Burlington. "You push yourself, you get better, it gets easier."

The work will continue until they head to the contest next month. They will compete May 10 and hope to make the cut for the Sunday show May 12. The work also includes fundraising efforts to pay for the trip. They held and Easter Egg hunt and have other ideas in the works.

"It would be great to see the community get behind us," said Sherwood. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This is making history for the program."

To help the team or if you are interested in becoming an All Star cheerleader, contact the Burlington YMCA.