Triton Cheer makes state history with first All-Girls National Championship
FORT DODGE, Iowa — Triton Cheer of Iowa Central Community College made history after winning the All-Girls National Championship for the first time in the state of Iowa.
'Normally, I just see it on TV, I never thought that I would be in that position, so being in that position, I was like this doesn't even feel real,' said rookie flyer Ka'Maiya Hunt. 'I definitely went to sleep with my medal on.'
While Triton Cheer is no stranger to medals and national titles, this is the first time it has won a national title in the All-Girl Division.
'That was one of my goals when I joined the all-girls team. I want to be the first all-girl team to win,' said third-year back spot and Fort Dodge native Laila Taylor.
Every year, the Tritons have two co-ed teams, and occasionally there's an all-girl team. Head Cheerleading Coach Amanda Murphy said their last all-girls team was in 2023. That team ended their season as runners-up in the national championship, being edged out by the competition by just tenths of a point.
As a junior college, athletes only have up to three years of eligibility. This year, many third-year athletes returned to fight for the national championship one last time. When Coach Murphy saw the strong female talent on her roster, she got permission from the college to make a third team this year.
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While managing three teams came with its challenges, the coaching staff said the all-girl team made it easier.
'When you think of a dream team to coach, that was this all-girl team. They showed up every day to practice, ready to practice, they called their own practices,' said Coach Murphy.
However, it wasn't always easy. Three weeks before the NCA College Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida, three Triton cheerleaders were involved in a head-on car accident while traveling to an all-star cheerleading competition in Omaha.
All three athletes escaped with just minor injuries, but one of the athletes broke her arm and she was on the all-girl team. Coach Murphy said they had to rework their entire routine.
'Every great time has adversity that they have to overcome,' said the 19-year head coach. 'Nothing is ever given to you. You have to earn it.'
And that's exactly what the Tritons did, rep after rep.
When they arrived at Daytona for the two-day competition, the team called their own 8 a.m. practice, surprising even the coaches with their dedication to perfecting the routine.
From setbacks to snapbacks, the squad hit their stunts when it mattered the most and beat their competition by over two points, which is almost unheard of in a sport that comes down to the tenths and hundredths of a point.
'[Hearing our names called for first] was the best feeling in the world. Nothing can replace that feeling of just being able to see my teammates, see my coaches, everybody's just so proud of each other,' said third-year back spot Molly Tomash, who unexpectedly came back to cheer this season for the redemption arc.
'I cried,' said Taylor. 'It felt like relief. All the hard work paid off, like all the practices, the late nights, the arguments, the tears, the laughter, all of the memories paid off.'
There's a tradition in cheerleading where winners at the NCA College Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida, celebrate in the ocean. And that's exactly what the Tritons' all-girls team did alongside one of the Tritons' co-ed teams, which also won first place in their division.
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Despite many of the athletes graduating this year and officially retiring from cheer, the rookies say this isn't the end for the all-girls team.
'It definitely puts a little pressure on next season just because now we have an expectation to live up to,' said Hunt. 'I just know that if I need anything or if the team needs anything, we can always go back to [the alumni] and they can help us out.'
As for Triton Cheer, Coach Murphy said this win will help the program.
'Iowa Central has always been known, I feel like, as a co-ed program, so we're trying to make it known that we're not just a co-ed program. We have a very good all-girl team,' she said.
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