Three years ago, competitive spirit cheerleading at Donegal High School was officially recognized under PIAA rules, opening the door to district and state competition. But for head coach Kellye Herbert, that milestone was only the beginning.

"I was determined to grow this program beyond that to the regionals and nationals stage," Kellye shared. "The team attended a regional qualifier called the Keystone Regionals at Santander Arena in Reading back in December. The team placed a second-place spot, earning them a bid to attend the National High School Cheer Championship."

From Jan. 28 to Feb. 3, 14 athletes and two coaches traveled to compete in the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) national championship in Orlando, Fla.

"This is a history-making event for Donegal School District's cheer program as we are the first to attend nationals. Nationals overall was the best experience. The energy was unlike anything we've ever experienced," Kellye recalled. "The atmosphere was dreamlike, lumped in with the best of the nation, and we earned our qualifying spot here just like the rest."

For the competition, the team debuted two routines, a traditional two-and-a-half-minute routine that would typically be performed at PIAA-level competitions and a game-day routine, which is three and a half minutes long.

"(It) features things you'd typically see us do at a football game, a band chant which we perform to band music followed by situational - offense or defense chant - then cheer and finish up with our fight song dance," Kellye explained, adding that this type of routine is newer to the cheer world and a favorite of hers due to its high energy and focus on skills the team members hone all season.

The team performed the two routines in one day at nationals.

"Traditional really proved to be difficult for us this year," Kellye said. "Our choreography was challenging. Mastering elite-level stunts was not for the weak."

She continued, "There were hundreds of teams from the nation in our division, so the pressure was on, but the team stepped up to the challenge. It's the hardest routine I've ever coached, and the pressure truly was a privilege."

Although the team fell short of winning it all, Kellye noted she's proud of the athletes and their performance.

"The team had a beautiful performance and missed advancing to semifinals by .5," she said. "Just being national qualifiers and attending was such a joy. This team is so resilient and already looking ahead to next year and hoping we can re-qualify again."

The Donegal cheerleading team comprises captains Ashley Dommel, a senior, and Kylie Becker, a junior, along with seniors Olivia Martin and Izzy Zellers; juniors Tyra Cannon, Ashley Herbert and Keiana Reed; sophomores Shayelyn Heck, Mya Morales, Ahna Weinhold and Connelly Weymers; and freshmen Olivia Alvarez, Olivia Ripamonti and Jaylah Mann.

Kellye is the head varsity coach, and she's joined by assistant coach Jaema Bonte.

Looking ahead to this season, Kellye is optimistic for another great year.

"My goals for the incoming team are to continue the momentum we have created," she said. "The hard work and dedication of these athletes continues to make strides towards greater success. Commitment and growth are my goals individually for my athletes and as a team to be resilient under pressure."

She noted she's proud of her athletes all around.

"The overall team GPA was 4.2 for the winter season, so this class-act team was focused on the mat and in the classroom," she said, adding that the team members also volunteer with community organizations such as ECHOS. "There are no academic-related awards for cheerleaders, and I think it's very important to note how successful this team is, truly putting the student-athlete in the spotlight."

She encourages students entering grades seven through 12 to consider trying out for cheerleading. Tryout packets are available in the offices of Donegal High School, Junior High and Intermediate School, and tryouts will be held Monday, March 23, through Thursday, March 26.