OHS alumnae, Caty Schmelzer and Cianna Davis both recently attended the UCA/UDA College Nationals in Orlando, FL and won national titles with Northwest Community College (NWCC).
Schmelzer was a member of the OHS cheerleading team for four years. This made her realize that she wanted to cheer past high school and pushed her to try at the next level. She is now a member of the NWCC cheerleading team.
“Caty has always been one of our hardest workers, the one who begs for extra practice, does anything she can to better our team and our routine, and cares about our team the most,” former teammate Georgia Brown said. “Her drive is amazing and it has 100% paid off.”
As nationals season approached, Schmelzer practiced for three hours in the morning and two hours after lunch every day for an entire month. While those practices can become physically painful and stressful, they became some of the most fun and rewarding moments for Schmelzer.
“Being surrounded by your teammates every day, making memories, and constantly gaining new skills truly shows what cheerleading is all about,” Schmelzer said. “It takes a special kind of person to continue their sport at the collegiate level, and my teammates are some of the most determined and talented people I know. Having teammates who supported me, pushed me, and encouraged me every single day made all the difference in my first year.”
Having a team full of uplifting teammates is something that is very important to this team.
“Caty was by far one of the best teammates I have had in my cheerleading career,” Brown said. She was also an amazing leader. She balances having fun and working hard, lifts us up when things get hard, and most importantly was always there for us when we needed her.”
Winning a national championship meant everything to Schmelzer. Seeing the hard work, sacrifices, and long practices pay off was very rewarding to her.
“This win represents countless hours in the gym, trust in one another, and never giving up even on the toughest days,” Schmelzer said. “Being part of a team that reached the ultimate goal together is something I will always cherish.”
As well as Schmelzer, Davis also was a part of a national championship at NWCC. She was a four year member of the OHS Chargerettes. This created many opportunities for her that eventually led her to dancing at the collegiate level. She is now a member of the NWCC dance team.
“Cianna was the best teammate,” former teammate Eden Bass said. “She is such a hard worker, her love and dedication for dance shined so bright.”
As practices got more intense leading up to nationals, Davis’ teammates played a key role in the process as they were just as determined to win and do their very best.
“My teammates never let me feel like I was in it alone,” Davis said. “They were working just as hard which made the process much easier. They were starving for a national championship just like I was.”
As this was Davis’ first year on the NWCC dance team, her coach made a lasting impact. Davis feels that she truly cares about the team as a whole.
“She cares about our mental and physical health and she works so hard to allow us to have dances that are tailored to us,” Davis said. “She inspired me this season so much, especially knowing how much she loves dance. She created a whole new perspective of dance for me that will take me a long way.”
As well, her coach always encourages the team to trust the process. She very clearly wanted the win and success as bad as the team.
“Practice is where we put the work in to become national champions,” Davis said. “You have to be involved in every step of the way with the process to get the end goal you want. Winning a national title was very exciting but the thing that really stood out to me the most was knowing that our hard work was shown out on the floor.”
