LIMA — Cheerleader Maddie Catlin was nervous before it was showtime but make no mistake, she and the other Spencerville varsity girls were ready to nail it.
And they did just that Sunday at the Allen County Fair Cheerleading Competition with their back flips and other tumbling maneuvers as they danced, jumped and cheered to the delight of a crowd of several thousand. Spencerville was fluid and high energy, everything a cheerleading squad should be.
When the cheerleading competition was over, Spencerville varsity finished second, barely beat by Delphos St. John’s. While Catlin was hoping for first she knew Delphos had a good squad.
As a senior who cheered varsity all four years of high school, Catlin also was there to enjoy her last competition at the Allen County Fair.
“It’s sad but I’ll be excited to come watch all the other girls in the future,” Catlin said.
Sunday, though, it was all business first, and then think about the fun she just had and remember that afterward.
“I’ve done many of these shows but it’s still nerve-wracking even though we do six or seven shows a year,” she said. “When you have to wait and wait for all the other teams to go and you’re really nervous. But afterwards, when you feel like you did really good, it’s just the best feeling, you feel like you hit it, so it’s a really good feeling.”
In the world of cheerleading, shows are a time to be serious. Routines must be smooth, voices must be loud, in unison and clear.
“No mistakes. We have to be spot on,” Catlin said. “It’s a lot about chemistry between us. It helps when you know this person and you can tell them where to go.”
While every part of the routine is important, Catlin said tumbling is what electrifies the crowd.
“The back flips and the back tucks. That really gets the crowd going,” she said.
At the completion, Spencerville Junior High cheerleaders won first place in their division. In the Youth division, Allen East took first place.
Competition Coordinator Tina Hershberger said 12 squads in three divisions competed. The criteria is open with judges looking for squads that perform a strong routine and pay attention to the level of difficulty.
“They look at how well they do their routine. They look at arm movement, things like that,” she said.
Bath Junior High Cheerleading Coach Melissa Cox said her girls were ready for their program. They spent three months preparing for four minutes.
“We are going to focus on our voices, tight motions, formations, jumps,” Cox said.
Cheerleading is serious business. Varsity cheerleaders start about the time the previous school year ends practicing at least two hours a day. There’s conditioning and even weightlifting to help propel them into the air during tumbling routines.
While competitions are serious, football Friday nights is what cheerleaders live for. There’s no judging or the worry of flawless routines, just cheering, having fun with the girls and cheer their team to hopefully a victory.
All in the world of a cheerleader and the Allen County Fair is a big part of that.
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