After two years of missing the state cheerleading tournament by the slimmest of margins, Bridgeport High School is hoping to make a return with this year's squad.
 
Coach Natalie Hathaway's 14-member squad has been practicing since the first of August to get ready for the regional and, hopefully, state tournament that is still months away. And they have been doing that while honing their skills to cheer on the BHS athletic programs for the upcoming year.
 
The first critical date of the year is Nov. 8. On that day, the Indians will stay local for the Class AAA regional competition, while will be held at Lincoln High School. The goal is to finish first or second to qualify for states. The last two years, BHS has come in third.
 
"The team dynamic and the bond that this group has is something that we haven't seen since our previous state tournament years. We have seen firsthand how their communication and teamwork has improved over the last few weeks, which makes practices not only productive but fun to be at," said Hathaway. "I have always believed that a team-first mentality was the most important thing to have a successful season, and I truly believe that this team has that spark to make great things happen."
 
Members of this year's team include a trio of seniors and four juniors. The seniors are Nhya Knepper, Bailey Root, and Lilly Wolfe. This year's juniors are Gabby Horne, Ansley Leach, Camille Miller, and Tayla Pitsenbarger.
 
Sophomores for the 2025-26 year are Scarlett Edgell and Daphne Taylor with the freshman class being the largest with five members. First-year cheerleaders include Ashlynn Miller, Liam Paulsen, Skyla Reider, Nina Spatafore, and Addy Willis.
 
The group came ready for the year with effort in the offseason.
 
"They worked so hard this summer and had great attendance at flex days both June and July which has really helped them get off to a great start this season. They're an extremely coachable group who works hard both in and out of the gym to practice not only skills but memorizing all of our game material so that we are able to focus our gym time more towards competition elements," said Hathaway.
 

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