The New Iberia Senior High School cheerleading squad earned the national championship and the high point championship titles in the Worldwide Spirit Association competition held in New Orleans.

The New Iberia Senior High School cheerleading squad added two more trophies to its growing collection after winning the national championship and the high point championship for its first time competing in the Worldwide Spirit Association competition.

The 14 cheerleaders competed against two other level-three senior varsity teams, Cabrini High School and South Lafourche High School, at the New Orleans Convention Center for the prestigious national championship award.

New Iberia Senior High School cheerleading coach Lacey Noel said preparing for the competition was nerve-racking because the squad was competing against a season-long rival.

“The competition with South Lafourche was personal because we went head-to-head all year long on the sidelines,” she said.

Noel, who has coached the squad for five years, said the cheerleaders faced off during football and basketball seasons where some friendly competition in stunting and tumbling ensued.

“The WSA competition was a way for both teams to prove who was more talented and skilled,” she said in a prepared statement. 

Noel said the performance featured full squad standing, tumbling, jump sequence, stunts, toe touch and full basket toss, pyramid and dance. She said stunts and tumbling are the hardest skills to perfect during practice, but the girls were optimistic.

“The mood was very confident about our skills yet nervous to perform well,” she said.

Paige Boudreaux, cheerleading captain and senior at New Iberia Senior High, said the hardest part of the competition was the anxiety before the performances. 

“We’ve been working so hard we just wanted to prove ourselves and do really well,” she said. 

After one day of competing, the two other teams held a lead over the New Iberia Senior High School squad, Noel said in the statement. She said the standings that afternoon fueled the cheerleaders to amp up their performances in the competition.

Noel said the squad performed twice Sunday with only two minor mistakes. She said after the competition was over, the squad was announced as the winner and the girls cried tears of joy as they accepted the award.

Brittany Guzman, the only freshman on the squad, said it is taking her a little time to adjust to the new title. 

“It just feels like it’s not real. I’m still in shock,” she said.  

Each member on the squad earned a national championship jacket, along with the large first-place trophy and two banners to display the win.

“It has been a relentless season with much work and dedication. The NISH cheerleaders worked through all of the difficult practices and proved that hard work and the will to win are both powerful in developing a winning team,” Noel said in the statement.

Other students and faculty have embraced the squad’s win, Noel said.

“Students and faculty alike are extremely supportive and proud,” she said. “The interest in trying out is higher than in years past.”

Boudreaux, a four-year member of the squad, said she thinks there is more respect for the squad than ever before.

“I think we have a lot more respect than we did four years  ago, and I think people see cheerleading as a sport now rather than just an extracurricular activity,” she said.