Members of the West Lauderdale High School cheerleading squad are, from left, front row, Hallie Mayatt, Amberlee Akin, Kellis Adams, Taylor Ketchens, Leah Lott, Darby Chaney, Alyssa Boykin, Chloe Gant, Lora Shepherd, Michaiah Bolar and coach Sara Freeman; back row, coach Laura Posey, Kaitlyn Buchanan, Kamryn Gilbert, Raylie Jo Dandridge, coach Johnny Taylor, Taylor Slay, Rebekah Scitzs, Ashley Gattis, Makenzie Bohl, Olivia Gray, Madelyn Gray and head coach Charlotte Chaney.

The workload required two, sometimes three practices a day.

The West Lauderdale High School cheerleading squad had two routines to use at the Universal Cheerleaders Association nationals meet two weekends ago: Small Varsity Division II and Large Varsity Game Day. Two routines meant a lot of practice time nailing both down. But as difficult as it was to fight through, the Lady Knights did, because they knew any slacking off could mean the difference between finishing first or not finishing first.

The hard work paid off: West Lauderdale brought home first place in the Large Varsity Game Day routine and finished ninth in the Small Varsity Division II competition — both satisfying rewards for hours upon hours of dedication.

“We would have two-a-days, where you would come up here at 6 a.m. and after school, and then sometimes three-a-days, where you’d come morning, after school and at night,” senior captain Darby Chaney said.

Chaney said, though, she knew the squad had a good chance of winning in Orlando, Fla., which is why she and the other girls pushed through all of the practices, no matter how tiring it all became.

“It’s a great feeling knowing your hard work paid off,” Chaney said.

And when their names were called as national champions in the Large Varsity Game Day division, Chaney said it was an unreal moment.

“I was bawling; I was crying so hard,” Chaney admitted. “It wasn’t real at first, then when it hit me, I was so happy. I couldn’t believe it.”

It was the same for her mother, cheerleading coach Charlotte Chaney.

“It sounds cliche, and you see it on TV and in person, but when you’re the one who is named national champion, you stand up in awe, and then it’s pure joy,” Charlotte Chaney said.

The elder Chaney admitted she put an enormous workload on her girls, but for the sake of doing something good for the community, it was necessary. Feb. 2, Collinsville was hit by a tornado that caused extensive damage, and Charlotte Chaney said she and her girls wanted to bring back a championship to the school.

“That was one of the things we discussed — we talked about knowing how we were hit but spared (the loss of life),” Charlotte Chaney said. “It could have been worse — we could have been attending funerals. We were quick as a team to cite our blessings, individually and as a group.”

Senior captain Leah Lott recalled the day the storms came through. The team was scheduled to practice that afternoon and perform for the school the next day, but with school canceled that next day, they never got the chance. So, the team vowed instead to go hard at winning a title.

“It was pretty big (when we won),” Lott said. “It was great to bring it back. You could tell how everyone in the community was amazed by us.”

Suddenly, the workload didn’t seem like that big a deal, and Charlotte Chaney said she watched her girls fight through it all with purpose.

“I think one of the main things we talk about is focus,” Charlotte Chaney said. “They kept it mentally and physically, rather than crumbling under the pressure of extra practice time. They thrived, because we told them ahead of time (about the workload).

“It takes many hours, and we knew going to nationals, more would be demanded, and they rose to the occasion.”

It wasn’t just winning a championship that stood out about the trip. In addition to a few trips to Disney World, the sheer number of people competing made it unforgettable, Darby Chaney said.

“It was a really fun trip,” she said. “Even though we practiced a ton, it was fun seeing all the other teams and seeing what they had.”

As the only two seniors on the squad, Darby Chaney and Lott were both part of a run that included three state championships in a row for the school as both a sideline and competition cheer team. Going to nationals and winning was a dream come true for the both of them, Lott said.

“It’s something we always dreamed of but never thought we could achieve,” Lott said. “To have the title of national champion is great, especially with it being your senior season.”

Said Charlotte Chaney, “They have been a constant for us through their junior high and high school careers. By the example of their work ethic they have led their peers, not just as seniors, but through their whole careers here.”

“It’s very tough to lose them.”

Their time may be over at West Lauderdale, but they didn’t leave the others without a lasting impression. Proverbs 16:3 reads, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans,” and that was West Lauderdale’s theme verse this season.

“After we were called as the winning team, the first thing we did was pray and thank God,” Lott said. “I hope the underclassmen could take that from us and continue that tradition.”

The Lady Knights are also coached by Sara Freeman and East Mississippi Cheer’s Laura Posey and Johnny Taylor.