Before we could recover from the Taylor Swift concert, it was time to switch gears and focus on another huge milestone for Kaitlynn - her very first Summit Cheer competition! Her Nighthawks team was having a monumental year, winning all of their competitions against formidable teams in their International U16 Level 2 division. But now it was time to take the stage for the largest competition of the season against the toughest teams across the world. First, they hit the mat for their Summit Showcase where friends and family cheered them on to success in the week ahead. They looked great and ready to go!
Summit is held in Orlando, Florida at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex right next door to Disney World. The Nighthawks were scheduled to compete on Thursday and Saturday of that week, so we flew to Orlando on Wednesday morning to get settled into our hotel and get our bearings around the crowded Disney World area. We were thankful for some down time, and we decided to hang out at the Disney Springs area for some food and shopping while enjoying the beautiful spring weather. Then we drove about the ESPN complex to make sure we were prepared for the following day's schedule. We also managed to do some early shopping at the Varsity store, which is always one of our favorite activities at any competition.
I was thankful for a leisurely day, because the next morning it was Go Time! Kaitlynn and I both got ourselves ready for a fun day of competition at ESPN. The complex was bustling with activity and cheerleaders with their families from all over the world. Kaitlynn was so excited for the Summit experience of practices and warm-ups outside on the ESPN lawn. We were thankful to be competing on Thursday when it was less crowded, but the nerves soon settled in as Kaitlynn prepared to take the stage.
The Nighthawks were soon off to their warm-ups, and we all felt the nerves and excitement in the air. When it was time for their performance, Kaitlynn later said she was SO nervous! She wasn't the only one, because I could barely cheer for them with my heart racing and mouth completely dry. Go Nighthawks!
Those Nighthawks rocked that stage on Day 1 and hit a zero! They were so excited and relieved when we met up after their performance, and we made sure to celebrate their achievement while hanging out to grab food and watch other teams while waiting for Finalists to be announced. The awards ceremony was held in the big baseball diamond at ESPN, and it was quite the celebratory atmosphere as all the teams waited anxiously to hear their names called. Only the Top 12 teams in Kaitlynn's division of 45 teams would advance to Finals.
And wouldn't you know it, right when it was time for the Finals announcement, it started to rain and the stadium was cleared. It was a little chaotic for a while, but they finally began the ceremony on Varsity TV while we all hung out in the covered areas of the stadium. One by one, teams were announced from bottom to top. Finally, the moment we were waiting for - Nighthawks had advanced to Finals and were currently in 5th place! On to Day 2 of competition!
Day 2 was a repeat of Day 1, except it was MUCH more crowded in the ESPN complex. The Nighthawks were competing against the best of the best, and we were so excited to see how they would perform on stage. It was exciting to find out that the Nighthawks hit another zero deduction routine, but unfortunately it wasn't their best performance. Most of the team was pretty upset at some minor things that went wrong on stage, but we were all so proud of their effort. When it came time for the final awards ceremony, the Nighthawks didn't have high hopes, but they ended up taking 5th place in the WORLD! Such an amazing accomplishment and SO MUCH to be proud of for their winning season.
Though we felt some disappointment, there was no time for sadness or tears. With the competition season officially behind us, it was time for some much-deserved fun and down time at the Disney World resort!
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