Harrison Cheerleaders Win 3rd Place, DII, at National High School Cheerleading Championship

Julia Brefere, the Head Coach of the Harrison Cheerleading program at Harrison High School, is proud of the Varsity Cheerleading team, as they earned 3rd place in the Small DII Varsity Game Day division, February 10-12, at the National High School Cheerleading Championship in Orlando, FL.

The Harrison Varsity Cheerleading Program headed down to Nationals this year as reigning Regional Champions for both the Small DII Traditional and Small DII Game Day divisions. Teams competing at the championship must have qualified at a regional competition in 2022 which makes getting to the championship no small feat. The NHSCC (National High School Cheerleading Championship) is the pinnacle of cheerleading competitions for high school cheerleaders across the country. This year’s event hosted 1,125 teams across 33 states. 

With these titles came heighted pressure, responsibility and dedication – as the date of the championship neared, the nights in the gym perfecting technique, execution, and presentation of their skills increased. Brefere notes that the Huskies found themselves putting everything they had into ensuring they’d be one of the nation’s best teams. 

At Nationals – the girls had an electric performance in prelims – putting them in 2nd place going into Semi-finals. With another strong performance came constructive feedback from the judges. The Huskies made some last-minute adjustments to the routine the morning of to ensure they put on the performance they needed for the top spot. 

The girls took the mat at 11:37am on Sunday, and never looked back to think “what if.” They left their hearts and souls on those mats and embodied what it meant to have “HUSKY PRIDE” through and through. Now, they can proudly say they are 3rd in the entire United States in the Small Varsity DII Game Day division—the programs first of many medals to come and a mark left in Harrison High School History!