The ¾¢±¬´ó¹Ï’s cheerleaders, The Spirits, are jumping for joy after winning two national championships this spring.
Cheerleading has long since moved off the touchline to become a sport in its own right and there’s not a pompom in sight.
The Spirits cheerleading club has two teams which take part in competitions - Inferno (Level 1 all-girl) and Lightning (Level 2 non-tumble all-girl) – both have lifted major trophies.
Inferno took first place in their class at the Legacy- Alpha & Omega, ¾¢±¬´ó¹Ï Nationals at the NEC in Birmingham, setting a record points score for any routine by a Spirits team.
At the final contest of the year – the ICC (International Cheerleading Coalition) Championship in Nottingham – Lightning won their category by seven points, a huge margin in a sport where teams are usually separated by fractions of a point.
At the ICC Southern regional championships earlier in the season, both Lighting and Inferno won their categories
And it was almost a National ICC double for Winchester but Inferno came second in their class, just 0.4 off first.
Both teams 'Hit 0' in Nottingham, which means no points were deducted for falls or mistakes in their performances. Lightning’s faultless routine also recorded the highest score by any university non-tumble team at the championships.
Lightning (Level 2 non-tumble all-girl) who won their category at the ICC (International Cheerleading Coalition) Championship in Nottingham.
The Spirits teams are coached by Jess and Mark Metelko from JLDC (Jessie Leigh Dance Company) who have won two Summit World Championships and two All Star World Championships. Jess and Mark also choreograph the high-energy routines, performed to music, which mix elements of dance and gymnastics.
The cheerleaders train at least twice a week for two to three hours per session. The Spirits also hold development sessions where athletes on competitive teams and non-competitive teams can work on their skills.
While a few of the team members have some prior experience, the majority of the girls this year are new to ‘cheer’.
Inferno’s routines include lots of gymnastic elements – including rolls, handstands, cartwheels, forwards walkovers, backwards walkovers and round-offs.
Lauren Watson, chairwoman of The Spirits, said: “We are beyond proud of both our teams this year. Their hard work and dedication to this club is unmatched. To end the season with both teams being national champions is incredible!”
Pictured top: Inferno, first their class at the Legacy- Alpha & Omega, ¾¢±¬´ó¹Ï Nationals at the NEC in Birmingham.
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