Last weekend was the most important of the year for most cheerleaders as they competed in the National High School Cheer Competition (NHSCC). The NHSCC took place February 7th-10th at ESPN in Orlando, and the stakes were high throughout. Suffolk county, at local competitions, is part of Section XI but at Nationals the county is split into multiple categories. These categories include Small Division I, Small Division II, Medium and Large Division I and II, Co-Ed, as well as multiple divisions of game day. Small Division II is where many Long Island teams compete and always proves to be an exciting watch. 
The overall competition takes place in three rounds: prelims, semi-finals, and finals. Making it to finals and getting to perform in front of the UCA castle is a feeling every athlete there desires, but making it to the finals mat is not as easy as it sounds. Because of the amount of teams that compete the first two rounds are split into groups. Previously, prelim groups were created based on your ranking the year prior. However, starting this year, the groups have been randomly assigned, so it’s anyone’s guess who you will be competing against in prelims. Depending on the number of teams competing, there can be around 6 prelims groups. Then comes the first round of eliminations. Teams gather in ESPN’s baseball stadiums to eagerly await the results of the previous round. Of course, not every team can make it through
to the next round, so despite your performance, hearing your team’s name called is a huge weight off of athletes shoulders. Afterwards, the remaining teams come back together into 2 semi-final groups which are again chosen at random. Making it to finals is already an accomplishment, meaning you placed somewhere around the top 20 teams in the nations (given that the number of teams in finals each year is different). After competing 3 times in the weekend, all finalists take home a trophy and the new national champions get to sport the infamous white jackets.
Small Varsity Division II
Small DII is one of the most competitive divisions regarding Long Island teams. The Section XI teams represented include Smithtown West High School, Rocky Point High School, Mount Sinai High School, Sayville High School, West Islip High School, East Islip High School, Comsewogue High School, Westhampton Beach, Miller Place High School, Eastport South Manor High School, Shoreham-Wading River High School, and Bethpage High School. Other schools from Nassau County include Seaford High School, Plainedge High School, Division Avenue High School, and Southold High School.
The results
As promised, competition was rigorous. There were 6 prelims groups for Small DII, and from each group 8 teams moved on. The Long Island teams moving past prelims (from groups A-F) included Sayville, Rocky Point, Smithtown West, East Islip, West Islip, Mount Sinai, Division Avenue, Seaford, and Southold. These teams then competed in two semi-finals groups, where 28 teams moved on in total. Finally, the 28 teams reunited to take the mat one last time in the weekend at finals. Scores of the rounds are not cumulative, so truly anything can happen in finals. Not every team performed at their best, while others gave their best performance yet. Long Island was certainly well represented as the title of 2025 National Cheerleading Champion went home with Seaford High School. With a hit zero routine, they had a final score of 91.9. Close in second with a score of 91.0 was Pikeville High School from Kentucky, and in third with a score of 90.4 was South Fayette Township High School from Pennsylivannia. Placement for the rest of our Long Island finalists are as follows: Division Avenue High School placed 11th with a score of 86.3, Smithtown High School West placed 12th with a score of 85.5, Rocky Point High School placed 16th with a score of 83.8, Mount Sinai High School came in a close 17th with an 83.2, Sayville High School 22nd with a 81.4 and finally West Islip High School placed 23rd with a score of 80.8.
In the end, competing at such a large competition is no easy feat, and all teams who traveled to Orlando went home with a great experience –whether that included trophies, white jackets, or simply a trip to the Disney Parks– and can’t wait to do it all again next year.
