Warriors Host 2023 WHAC Cheer Championship At Garth Pleasant Arena

Hussein Murray/Rochester University

After hosting its first-ever home competition earlier this season, Warrior Cheer will return to Garth Pleasant Arena on Saturday to host the 2023 WHAC Cheer Championships, with eight teams competing in the event. 

"It definitely feels a lot more special to me," freshman base Emmaleah Read said. "Knowing that we get to host WHAC Championships while having our student base behind us too."

Rochester is looking to improve on its third-place finish from last year's event, with a young-but-experienced roster. Despite having a smaller number of participants, the athletes believe it can play to their advantage.

"It makes us all work even harder," sophomore base Brooke Wells said. "With a smaller group, everyone has to make sure they do their part."

"With having such a smaller team, it ties into the family aspect of cheer," Read added. "You can see all the different things each person is putting into the team itself."

The Warriors have competed in five events prior to the WHAC Championship, and have made history along the way. In the Warrior Classic, the event the team hosted to begin the season, Rochester set a record for its highest-scoring regular season performance en route to a third-place finish. 

The Warriors will be looking to take lessons from their prior meets into this one. 

"Last year we beat some teams for the first time that we hadn't before," sophomore back spot Katelynn Gage said. "It was also our first time being out there, having more than five people on the mat. We want to score even higher than last time, and bring that shock factor."

In practice, the team has emphasized sticking together and remaining positive. According to Wells, it plays a major role in the success of the program. 

"Having a positive attitude is the biggest thing," Wells said. "If one person is down, it brings the whole team down. It's going to be especially important because we compete twice."

For those who aren't experienced with attending cheer events, it could come as a surprise that instead of the atmosphere being highly intense and competitive, all of the teams root for each other to succeed during their routines. 

"A lot of it has to do with our teams seeing each other each weekend," Gage said. "For the teams that are driving many hours to come to events, we're their support system."

With all the anticipation about the event, it's more than just winning for the Warriors. Being in front of the home crowd and having the opportunity to represent in front of their families plays a major factor in the team's feelings about the event. 

"My parents being able to come means a lot to me," Wells said. "It's really motivating to me and the team, and it's a really good feeling to have everyone that we know there to support us."

Saturday's contest will be streamed live on Rochester Sports Network. Teams will begin warmups at 11 AM, and the competition will get started at noon. 

(Featured Image: Hanna Swanson/Rochester University)