The Gaffney Varsity Competitive Cheer squad made it to State Finals for the second consecutive year in a row. The State Competition was held at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, SC, on Saturday, November 18, 2017.

To qualify for State Finals, a team must place in the top 16/32 teams at qualifiers, held on November 11^th at River Bluff High School in Lexington, SC. The girls headed from state qualifiers in tenth place and with a score of 271, just a few points under Fort Mill High School. Their routine hit in full for the first time of the season.

At State, Gaffney Varsity Cheer placed thirteenth out of sixteen Varsity 5A teams with a final score of 259, just three points under Wando High School in 12^th place. This was major improvement from last year’s state finals performance, which was a score of 197. The squad as a whole has held the goal of going to state both the seasons of 2016 and 2017, and the goals were met both years.

When asked about what Gaffney Cheer means to her, All-Region flyer Tyonna Tate tells us that, “Gaffney Cheer means so much to me. It’s given me what I know for sure will be long life friendships. Cheer shows me how to work with others and how working together as one can be used to achieve something great!  I have a lot of sisters my mother never gave birth to because of cheer; it’s just such a great experience. When I’m having a bad day my team is always there to pick me p and give me a great laugh. I’ll never forget any of the girls I’ve competed with. There’s just so many lessons that come along with being a Gaffney Cheerleader. Once an Indian, always an Indian! #GC4L #GForce.”

Freshman flyer Bett Brumley told us, “This season was one of the best! We were like family and worked together to encourage each other through the routines and practices. Making it to state really showed all the hard work we put in during the season. I’m looking forward to the future years and the improvements we are working towards! #GC4L”

Their positive mindsets, which are revealed in Brumley’s response, will help them overcome any obstacle the rigorous sport of competitive cheer throws at them. With Gaffney Varsity Competitive Cheer being back on the map for the second year in a row, it’s only up from where the girls are now.