NEED TO KNOW:
Where: Daytona Beach, Fla.
When: April 11-13
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DEMOREST, Ga. - For the second year in a row, Piedmont Cheerleading will head to Daytona Beach, Florida for NCA College Nationals, beginning Thursday, April 11 and running through Saturday, April 13.

Last season, in the team's debut year of competition, the Lions delivered a third-place finish in the Division III All-Girl Intermediate category.

 

Piedmont will begin competition with prelims and are currently scheduled to begin at 7:54 p.m. Depending on the team's success in prelims, that will determine its time for competition in the finals on Friday, which could occur anytime between 5:15 and 8:00 p.m.

 


COACH'S CORNER: Hear from Piedmont's Head Cheerleading Coach Cristen Rabern:


 

On how this year compares to last year, now that the team has a year of exeprience under their belt:

"Last year really lit a fire under the girls, so I think the returners are even more excited to be here this year. I certainly feel more prepared as a coach just knowing the layout of the competition and having a better idea of what to expect. However, we do have a larger pool of competitors this year (we competed against 12 other teams last year- this year we compete against 18 other teams), so that puts the pressure on a little more."

On the most challenging aspect heading into the event:

"The most challenging aspect of this competition is knowing that our entire season basically boils down to 2 minutes and 15 seconds. The team essentially has to be perfect for that two minutes because any mistake can be detrimental to our score. In other types of sports, if you miss a basket or don't make a catch, you usually have the opportunity to make it up later in the game. So it can be incredibly nerve-racking knowing that you can't afford to mess up."