Fort Hill Cheerleaders "Reach the Beach" Again

Loud music, big smiles, and loads of energy filled the Ocean City Convention Center last weekend. The Annual “Reach the Beach” Recreational and School National Cheer Competition took place at the venue on Friday, Feb. 24^th and Saturday, Feb. 25^th.  

The event, sponsored by Epic Brands, invites teams from across the nation to showcase their talent. About 300 squads competed, most coming from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and Washington D.C. Teams competed in different divisions according to their age, size, and category.

Fort Hill High School Cheerleaders, from Cumberland, MD, made the trip east to Ocean City, MD once again to compete in the event. It marked the team’s 10^th year participating in the country’s original beach cheerleading competition.

According to assistant coach, Jordan McCarty, the team has been awarded about six national titles from “Reach the Beach” over the years. In 2007, the varsity squad earned the title of Grand Champion, which is awarded to the team with the highest overall score within their division. 

“It’s an achievement that can only be earned with sweat, tears, and sometimes even blood,” McCarty joked about the hard work that goes into earning the title.

This year, the Fort Hill junior varsity squad, made up of 13 female cheerleaders and 1 male cheerleader, earned 1^st place in the Junior Varsity Advanced Division for their two-minute and thirty-second routine choreographed to an 80s dance mix.

The varsity squad, comprised of 24 female cheerleaders and 1 male cheerleader, brought home a 2^nd place title for their routine to a rock mix which included ACDC, Kid Rock, Aerosmith, and Run DMC.

The titles earned qualify both teams to be nominated to compete in the U.S. Cheerleading Finals Championships which take will take place later in the year.

Junior, Sydney Conley, blew judges and fans away at the cheer solo competition on Friday night. The two-minute routine combined dance, tumbling, cheer, and jumps which were all choreographed to a Nicki Minaj mix. Her outstanding performance earned her 1^st place in the Varsity Solo Competition, and a check for $500 dollars.

“I’m so overwhelmed with excitement for her,” McCarty said. “We’ve been working on that routine for months, and her hard work and dedication paid off big time.”

Fort Hill Sentinel Cheerleaders look forward to “Reach the Beach” every year, and so do their fans. The high school is known for having an abundance of school spirit, and that school spirit glistened bright over the weekend.

Numerous Fort Hill supporters followed the squad to the beach to cheer their cheerleaders on. Parents, grandparents, classmates, siblings, alumni, friends, and even some members of the football team crowded into the rotational viewing area as the Sentinel cheerleaders, dressed in their pristine white and red-accented competition uniforms, took center stage.

“Seeing all the different teams perform and the excitement of the fans brings back memories of my cheerleading days,” said Fort Hill alumnus cheerleader, Jessica Robinette. “It really makes me miss it.”

Surely, there was no lack of loud music, big smiles, or loads of energy in the cheerleaders’ parents’ cars as the team journeyed back to Cumberland, MD on Sunday. The team plans to return to the competition next year to add more titles to their ever-growing collection.

More information about the competition and results can be found on the American Cheer and Dance Academy website.