MCCA State Cheerleading Championships: Poplar Bluff cheerleaders accept new challenge at state

After conquering the Class 4A Small division for the past two seasons with back-to-back state titles, the Poplar Bluff High School cheerleading squad will enter new territory.

The Lady Mules will get their chance to three-peat when they hit the mat on Saturday to compete in the 2023 MCCA State Cheerleading Championship at Southeast Missouri State University.

Coach Brianna Jones said transitioning to another division has gone smoothly. Though she is confident that her squad can compete with any team, stepping into unfamiliar waters can be stressful.

“We're super excited yet nervous because we’re in a new division,” Jones said. “Despite the chance, the girls have been working super hard on their newer and harder skills. They've been doing really well, so we're just excited to get out there, have fun and hopefully bring home a state title.”

With achieving high honors over the past two seasons, getting back to the final for the third straight time can be challenging. How does a team stay motivated after winning for multiple years? Jones ensures the Lady Mules are more motivated than ever to bring home a state title.

“Our seniors, who already have two state titles under their belt, are just as hungry for a third title,” She said. “As for our newcomers, they haven’t experienced the joy of achieving a title, so their drive is just as strong to capture their first. These girls are amazing athletes. They just love to win and have fun.”

Jones said coming into the Class 5A division was scary because they didn't know what to expect. The Lady Mules got the opportunity to scope out the new competition at this year’s regionals. They placed fifth at the St. Louis MCCA Regionals in the 5A Small division and took third place at the MCCA Kansas City Regionals.

She said competing at regionals showed them they had work to do and needed to increase their skill level before returning to state. Jones said the team is still nervous but excited to compete against newer teams.

Similar to most coaches, every goal at the end of the season is to bring home a state title. While Jones is laser-focused on bringing home more hardware for the Lady Mules, she wants to see them achieve that and more.

“Of course, every coach wants to see their team win,” Jones said. “But for these girls, I just want them to hit a good routine and honestly just leave it out on the mat. I'm fine with whatever we get as long as they can hit all the skills they've been aiming to hit and just have fun.”

Also competing in the MCCA State Cheerleading Championship is the Neelyville Lady Tigers cheerleading squad.

The Lady Mules will perform at 10:35 a.m. while Neelyville will perform at 11 a.m. in the 1A Division at SEMO.