Golden Triangle schools win big at National Championships
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Family, friends, faculty, and students packed the New Hope High School Campus on Monday — welcoming home a group of National Champions.
The band, cheer and dance teams spent the weekend competing at the DII National School Spirit Championships in Orlando, Florida.
“It was amazing, it was a wonderful experience, but getting to come with dance, cheer and band was definitely the best part of it,” said Ada Glover, New Hope junior and dance team member.
“It was an eye opener, but it was also an awesome experience just to get to go with not just our cheer team but with the spirt squads of new hope,” said Assistant Cheer Coach Grace Massey.
The band brought home first place in the Pep Band – LIVE division of the National School Band Championship.
It’s the first year this competition has ever been held.
New Hope Director of Bands Erica Shirley says the competition was “fantastic.”
“It was definitely an experience getting to go somewhere that I’ve never been before. And to win national championships was definitely something,” said New Hope senior and band member.
“Now they’re going from ‘I think I can to ‘I know I can’ and it’s just been a great experience. And hearing their name getting them called …. and watching them celebrate and just be thoroughly happy just means everything,” said Assistant Director of Bands Ryan Jobe.
Dance Xpress competed in two Universal Dance Association categories — placing seventh in the semi-finals for Hip-Hop and ninth overall for the UDA championships.
Coach Courtney Hall said this was the team’s first national competition in New Hope history.
“Just very, very, very proud of them. They work extremely hard. They come up here on Sundays,” said Hall.
All three squads teamed up for the Spirit Program — Game Day LIVE division, earning second place for recreating a Friday Night Football experience at New Hope.
“What we have at New Hope is very unique … because not only do our cheer, band and dance thrive together and have fun and feed off of each other’s energy, but our football coaches support us as well,” said New Hope Cheer Coach Rachel Robertson.
Coaches said representing New Hope and Mississippi mattered — and the support they felt coming home says it all.
“(We felt) seen and loved and supported. And we appreciate everybody from our admin to our faculty to our students, just everybody the community,” said Shirley.
73 New Hope students competed in the National Championships.
Starkville Middle and Varsity cheer teams also placed at the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship.
The middle school team won silver and the varsity team won bronze.
The Starkville teams returned to Starkville Monday night.
