CWU’s all-star team, Cheercats competed in their first ever cheer competition since the creation of the club in 2022. The NCAA competition, ‘The U.S. Finals’, took place in Tacoma, WA. on April 5. As a one team institution, they competed in Division II. Of the many gyms in attendance, the Cats took home first place.

The team is student led with three people in charge. The president of the team is Clarissa Slaton. She is a fourth year Psychology major at Central. Kaila Akina is the vice president of the team. She is a fourth year student at Central majoring in Environmental Research and minoring in Sports Coaching. The third member of leadership is Stephanie Braeul, the secretary. She is a fourth year Elementary Education major. All Have been members of the team since it started in 2022. 

With all three being there since the beginning, it is still the teams first ever time competing in a competition. 

“It was kind of like a fever dream for me and Stephanie being back in the cheer world. Especially like the convention center we were at, the Tacoma Convention Center,” Akina said.

The team was able to score a 3.9 on pyramids and have their second score be in jumps. “We hit all of our stunts, all of our tumbling, all of our jumps,” Akina said.

Competing was a memorable experience for members of the Cheercats as a few do graduate this spring. 

“I remember I hit my ending pose. Steph got up so fast… I remember getting up and walking off the stage, and the second I couldn’t feel the light on me anymore, I started crying. I found Kayla. I found Steph. It was crazy, after we finished our routine, I was like, I don’t care what the score says. I don’t care if I walk out of here with a medal or a trophy or whatever. That was the best way I could have ended my cheer career,” Slaton said.

Fellow gyms at the event were in support of the only college team in the NCAA competition. 

“The little circle at awards, all holding hands, and they called our name. It was just insane, hearing our family, all of our family and friends there. It was crazy. They were so supportive. There was a million moms with their phones out. And it was just adorable,” Slaton said. “When we were performing, there was other gyms and other athletes who came up front to watch us… It was cool to see so many people and hear so many people cheering you on, throughout the whole thing.”

A fellow competitor from a gym nearby came up to the cheercats sharing how she wanted to join the team.“She’s a sophomore in high school and she’s interested in coming to CWU and joining our team. She stayed to wish us good luck before going on stage and congratulated us when we were done performing,” Akina said.

Although the team did have say and helped with a few aspects, majority of the routine was choreographed by the vice-president, Akina.

“I think it’s so important to mention that Kayla choreographed that entire routine by herself with Steph,” Slaton said.

 “It was crazy. I have never seen someone come to my apartment. SHow me your thoughts. Show me your formation. Have it pan out on the mat,” Slaton said.

The Cheercats are full of members with many years of past experience as well as newbies to cheer. The routine made sure to highlight those who were able to throw back handsprings and tucks during the tumbling passes. Others were able to be highlighted on their progress through jump sequences and the cartwheels they have been able to perfect the past seven months. 

As a new and smaller team, the ability to learn passes that other gyms throw in their routines is a barrier with a lack of equipment. The team practices in the Rec center gyms without any spring floors or foam blocks. 

The team intends to grow more through routines as well as by competing in more competitions.

“I think it’d be nice to have two competitions, or even a two day competition. Would be super fun. So it depends on how much of that money that they have to split amongst all the sports clubs, how much money goes towards us, and then how much we fundraise, how much we charge for dues to be like a part of the team. So it all depends on money, because it was expensive to take all of us money,” Akina said.