Although we normally see Linfield cheer on the sidelines, they took center stage last weekend in Anaheim, Calif. at nationals. With the unfamiliar spotlight, the pressure was on, and these Wildcats rose to the challenge.

“Having the direct attention on stage was different than on the sidelines,” said sophomore marketing major Ashley Dunn.

The direct attention was exactly what the team needed. With eyes focused on them, they brought the right attitude, excitement and energy to the stage.

“It was an energy like no other,” said Dunn. “I’ve never felt that much energy from everyone and myself.”

The energy on stage was contagious as these Wildcats were cheering each other on and hyping each other up before, during and after the competition.

“I’ve never experienced anything like that,” said sophomore nursing major Betty Vasquez. “Even backstage we were so ready and then onstage, it was the best routine we’ve ever done. We’ve never done it that good.”

The team used that energy to fuel their routines and gave everything they had. 

“Everyone put in 110%,” said sophomore business and nursing major Mary Ebenezer. “Every single one of us left everything on the mat.”

Dunn agreed.

“We put all of our hearts out there and did everything we could as athletes,” said Dunn. “We all showed up that day.”

The highlight of the competition was different for everyone, including team bonding, visiting Disneyland and watching other teams perform. For Vasquez, however, her highlight was when “Linfield University” was called out as the fifth place winners for their Situational and Band Chant routine.

A Situational routine is judged on getting the crowd engaged, being the most loud and the most hype. A Band Chant routine is a dance the team puts together performed with a band’s beat.

While energy and passion go a long way, success cannot happen without preparation. Before the competition, the team put in a lot of work to become nationally ranked.

“We practiced like no other,” said Ebenezer. “Cheer was consuming our lives, but it was worth it in the end.”

With so much preparation comes extra stress.

“It was really hard mentally and physically, but leaning on my teammates was really nice,” said Vasquez. 

While the process was difficult, the team wouldn’t have changed it in any way. All the preparation and nerves were worth the result, and this time, they were cheering for themselves.

“When we are cheering for football or basketball, it feels like we are cheering for the team, but competing was solely for us,” said Vasquez.

Now, these Wildcats return to McMinnville with pride, Mickey Mouse ears and two national trophies.