NATCHEZ — All of the hard work and long practices has paid off for the Cathedral High School cheerleading squad.

The squad, one of the largest 1A teams in the area, competed in the MHSAA South Regional Cheer Competition in Waynesboro last Saturday and qualified for the state competition on Dec. 15 at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson.

The team finished first in the 1A Large division and were declared regional champions. However, that did not guarantee them a spot in the state tournament.

They still had to score at least a 70 out of 100 to qualify for state. They passed that with ease, scoring an 82.

“I’m very proud of the team,” Cathedral coach Jennifer Scott said. “The girls have worked really hard and did a terrific job.”

Cathedral’s routine consisted of tumbling stunts, a cheer and a dance routine. Everything is set to music except for the cheering portion of the rotine.

The Green Wave cheerleaders nailed all of their elements to move forward to the state competition.

“It is a fast-paced, non-stop kind of routine,” Scott said. “The girls have been working non-stop since the summer months and did a fantastic job.”

Cathedral cheerleader captain Lindsay Holleman said capturing the the regional championship and advancing to the state contest made all the hard work the team has been putting in all year pay off.

“We’ve been working on it a really long time and that made it all worthwhile,” Holleman said. “When you hear them call your name (to announce the winners) and know you did a good job, it’s really exciting.”

The team practices four days a week after school and sometimes has night practices on the weekends to prepare for the competition.

“Cheerleading takes a lot of our time,” Holleman said. “Everyone is very dedicated and has been very cooperative. We’ve got a good group of members.”