Starkville Academy cheer squads impress at UCA camp

The Starkville Academy cheerleading squads participated in their first Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) cheer camp since 2019 on Friday morning. While Starkville Academy had their own home camp last year, the UCA camp offers a different atmosphere for them to compete against other teams in Mississippi.

By the end of the competition at the end of the camp, Starkville Academy’s Junior Varsity squad placed first in sideline chant, second in camp routine and third in cheer. SA’S Varsity squad ended up taking top honors. They placed first in sideline cheer as well as camp routine. There were squads from all over Mississippi they competed against, and this was their first taste of competition with a new head coach, Samantha Bounds.

“I’ve been head coach since March, and I’m so excited for this season and for the

girls to do new things out on the football field,” Bounds said. “We want them to use those signs, use those megaphones. We want to do dances with the band and the dancers. We’re trying to incorporate all of the elements together. I’m excited to see them grow because they have so much potential and I just want everyone to see that.”

In addition to being the host team, the SA squads got to utilize the new indoor Rula Tennis Center on Mississippi State’s campus.

“The new facility is great! The space, the air, having it open for extra time because more people are coming in is awesome,” Bounds said.

Their captain and incoming senior, Abby O’neal, is excited for what is to come this season with a competition in August and football season in full swing.

“I’m looking forward to football season and pep rallies,” O’neal said. “We did a home camp last year, but it’s such a different experience coming here and actually getting to compete. It’s preparing us for when we compete on August 30 in Jackson. When you get to go to a camp like this with so many good teams, it gives you a perspective of how the other competitions will be.”

Another senior, Lizzie Skelton, is looking forward to the competition that comes with cheer.

“It was really good to be able to compete because last year we didn’t get to do that at all,” Skelton said. “This year I’m really looking forward to competition. I think we’ll do really well this year because we’ll work really hard on it, and it’s early in the year. This year things will be more normal and we have a new coach, so it’ll be better for all of us.”