Christmas Comes Early for James Wood Cheerleaders as They Earn Their First Spot Since 2018

Like every other sport, cheerleading requires grit and determination. Being a cheerleader means getting back up no matter how many times you have been knocked down. One group of people that is very familiar with these ideals is the James Wood cheerleading team. The team has seen some depressing lows over the last few seasons but seems to have turned it around as of late. They had not qualified for regionals since the spring of 2021. However, the Colonels gave it their all on Saturday and placed second in the Region 4D competition.

The result also means that James Wood will be advancing to the Class 4 state competition for the first time since 2018.  The next round will be held at the Virginia Commonwealth University Siegel Center in Richmond on November 4.

James Wood Cheerleaders Push for Regionals Despite Hardships

Both, the team as well as its supporters were overjoyed with the result as the Colonels finished with 227.5 points. “I feel like I’ve known since my freshman year that this is where we’re supposed to be,” said James Wood senior and co-captain Carlie Lemons. Eight teams competed in round one on Saturday, of whom four were eliminated. In the second round, the Colonels finished just 2.25 points behind the Spartans. Meanwhile, it beat Liberty, who placed third, with 220.5 points.

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The Colonels overcame some hurdles to make Saturday count. Owing to the construction at James Wood lately, the team did not have an ordinary practice routine until very recently.

In fact, Shirley Gymnasium was unavailable until September 7, forcing the team to practice at a nearby middle school. Coach Wendy DeMaio, who has been with the team since 2018, said the team demonstrated a lot of focus to ensure Saturday’s result went in their favor.

“The girls have overcome so many obstacles,” DeMaio said, citing issues from sickness to broken toes. She told tales of the team sharing space with the volleyball team and how both teams faced unexpected, often amusing, interruptions due to practicing together.

New Blood Added to the Cheerleading Pack

However, besides obstacles, this season brought a lot of solutions for James Wood. Of the 15 members of the cheer team, six were newcomers.

The team considers itself incredibly fortunate that this group of new players found their way into the team with minimal growing pains. “They worked their butts off this year to help us out,” said Lemons about the new additions to the team. In fact, DeMaio paired the seniors with the freshmen as “cheer sisters” to ensure a cohesive team.

“What we preached all season was consistency, consistency, consistency, and they did it,” DeMaio said. “We’re pretty proud of them for that. I have great leadership this year.”

When this season began, the Colonels had a shaky start. However, it has been smooth sailing since then. The team finished on the podium five times, with one first-place finish and four second-places.