The Dartmouth High varsity cheerleading team overcame rigorous competition standards and an injured teammate to appear in a national competition for its first time ever.

The team headed to Dallas to compete against more than 100 other schools for the National Cheerleaders Association championship on January 21 and 22. The team finished in ninth place, despite having to completely rework its routine when one cheerleader was injured just days before the flight to Texas.

“There was a lot of changes, but they came out flawlessly on both days. I was so proud of the team,” said Head Coach Rebecca Braga.

The competition rules mandate that each routine must fit into a 2 minute and 30 second time slot and only use music for 90 seconds, explained Braga. Additionally, the girls had to perform twice, once in the prelims and again in the final round.

The Indians' appearance in nationals ends training that began last August. The 12-member team – consisting of three seniors, three juniors, and six sophomores – attended a four-day summer cheer camp in Rhode Island that ran from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and only paused for meal breaks, Braga said.

The fall competitive season included three major invitationals. The team advanced as far as regionals, but fell short of qualifying for states. Having already qualified for the NCA national competition, however, Braga shifted gears to focus on that in the winter season.

Braga credited the team’s success to a well-balanced team and captains Emma Shea and Paige Pacheco, who upkept the team’s distinct competitiveness and school spirit, as well as served as a liaison between Braga and the rest of the team .

“Everyone has a specific job they have to do, and especially after that injury, they all stepped up,” Braga said. “Our main goal is to cheer on other sports teams during their seasons, but this sport has become so competitive, it’s like we’re two teams in one,” she added, explaining the team’s unique role in both representing the school in cheer competitions and supporting its varsity football and basketball teams.

Braga said she is planning a celebratory banquet for mid-March to close out the year and send off her three graduating seniors.