Meet Springfield High School, the Division II Super Varsity Champions of the 2016 UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship! 

School Name:
Springfield High School

Coaches' Names:
Kristin LaBarca and Molly Ries

Number of titles and year(s) won:
2016 is our first National Title.

How does your team prepare for the championship?
We train 4-5 days a week along with games and community events. We compete locally to get judges’ feedback and prepare the girls to perform in front of a crowd.

What challenges did you face? What did you do to overcome them?
The biggest challenge was getting all seven stunt groups to perform the same skill. We describe it as a big puzzle trying to piece each girl in the correct spot to make the group work.

Does your team have a motto/theme for this routine/season?
"I believe in you." Before every competition, the girls and coaches stand in a circle holding hands and recite this phrase to each other. We attest to this saying because if you don’t “believe” in yourself and the person standing next to you, there will be no success.

What were the highlights of this year's routine?
We take pride in our cheer section. It is a true representation of our school showing our colors and mascots. We use the same layout each year, adding in different skills for a slight change. The girls also loved their partner stunt. They worked hard to perform the elite skills from the beginning of the year.

Tell us about your experience competing at the Championship.
It is always nerve wracking to compete at the most prestigious High School Cheerleading Championship in the country, but this year was different. We were competing to win. After going straight to the final round in prelims, the girls knew they could do it. Having one fall in Finals was a major deduction and we knew we could end up anywhere in the line-up depending on the other teams, but we still only concentrated on ourselves. We did the best we could have done and we were proud!

How did it feel when your name was called as the winner?
So many emotions run through your body during the countdown of places. Once they got to top 3, I know I can speak for the team when I say, "my heart felt like it stopped" Not hearing your schools name when they announce runner up, brought tears to my eyes. In that very moment, I was so proud, proud to say OUR TEAM just won Nationals.

Who/what are your team’s biggest inspirations?
Our biggest inspiration is each other and working as a team. These girls work to be their best and support each other. I feel confident in saying every team wants to win but the journey we take as a team is more than that.

What’s next for your team?
Since our season is complete, the girls have some down time. They attend open gyms to work skills for tryouts which are held in May. From there, we start all over and train for the 2016-2017 season.

For more interviews with this year's UCA Champs, please visit varsity.com.