Tech cheer places in top 10 in nation

By Breanne Pittman

Louisiana Tech cheer has claimed victory by placing top 10 in the College Nationals earlier this month.

The Tech cheer team traveled to Walt Disney World to compete against some of the best cheer programs in the country after months of preparation.

Blue-squad member Katelyn Robinson shared that the team’s overall goal weekend at nationals was just to make it beyond semifinals.

“This year we set a goal to make finals and we did,” Robinson said. “This was the first year I’ve made finals cheering for Tech, and I have been on the team for three years.”

After competing virtually in 2021, the Tech cheer team traveled to the competition, for the first time in 10 years, in 2022 but did not make it beyond semifinals.

“Placing top 10 was the best feeling ever,” Robinson said. “On day one we had to work hard for our spot, but through hard work, determination and dedication we finally were able to compete in finals with some of the best cheer programs in the country.”

Being a young team with a new coaching staff, placing at nationals was no easy task, but Coach Ashlyn Ogee said she is proud of how the team overcame trials and worked hard to achieve beyond their goal of making it to finals.

“(We) coaches are extremely proud of the team’s performance and know that next year the program can move forward,” Oglee said.

Now, the team is motivated to do even better next year, and blue-squad member Hayden Howard has high expectations that the team will only continue to grow.

“I expect the cheer team to grow from this and hopefully place higher than we did this year as we build on our success from this year,” Howard said.