TUCSON — A cheerleading program that started with just five girls, four of them freshmen, has transformed into Arizona state champions through early morning practices and unwavering determination.
Two years ago, Pusch Ridge Spiritline Coach Christine Sola inherited a program with very low expectations. The team faced numerous challenges that would have derailed most programs.
"I had five girls, four of which were freshmen and they really worked so hard to build the program back up," Sola said.
This season brought even more obstacles.
Four seniors joined with no prior cheerleading experience, creating a steep learning curve for the team.
"Half of us have never cheered before. We could barely do very basic stunts," said Victoria Manning, senior captain.
The challenges kept mounting.
Their main flyer quit, two girls joined late in the season, and stunt groups had to be completely rebuilt. Limited gym availability added another layer of difficulty to their preparation.
But the team decided to flip the script on their circumstances.
"We were here at 5 o'clock in the morning, every morning," Sola said.
Those 5 a.m. practices became more than just training sessions. They turned into bonding rituals complete with playlists, coffee and the kind of friendships that transform strangers into sisters.
"The bond that we have is just so different than everything else," said Claire Sola, a junior on the team who had been with the program since the start of Christine's takeover.
That bond carried them all the way to the state championship.
At state, 15 teams competed for the title. After preliminaries, Pusch Ridge found themselves in the top three.
"So that's when I realized, 'guys this might be you know...'" Sola said smiling.
When Pusch Ridge was announced as state champions, the gym erupted in celebration.
"We were all holding hands standing there like 'oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh' and our coach was crying and it was just so amazing because we had all worked so hard and I was just so proud of us," Manning said.
