[quote]By Kiera Donovan
Online Writer
Photos by Nikki Koulos (MV Yearbook)[/quote]

The cheer team proved it is a force to be reckoned with Jan. 20 at the DuPage Valley conference championship at Naperville North, where they placed second behind Neuqua Valley.

“I feel like we were just so surprised since the teams in our conference are so good,” junior Lily Dickson said. “Also, we didn’t have any deductions.”

This muscle memory came from the hours of practice. Through those hours of practice, the team endured hardships that they continuously overcame to achieve second at conference.

“The team lost a lot of members from last year and, we always have injuries from it being such a dangerous sport,” Dickson said. “This is the most hard working team I’ve been on and it is paying off.”

Metea’s cheer team has been progressing every year. The high placement at conference has helped boost the team’s confidence and prepared them for what’s next.

“[Conference] was a lot of fun,” senior Isabel Poruba said. “We all just focused in and it felt like muscle memory.”

The team also placed second in a competition at NIU that Saturday before conference.

“Every competition we compete at we get better and better,” senior Adrienne Quattrochi said. “That and all of our practice helps.”

The team has also developed their own pre-routine rituals like a team chant, a team prayer led by senior Danielle Havlik, and a motivational speech lead by sophomore Jada Smith.

“This year our team is just a lot closer and more together,” Poruba said.

The team will compete at sectionals this Saturday in DeKalb.