After finishing a successful season cheering for Salesianum’s football team and other events, Padua immediately entered its third consecutive year as a competitive cheer team.  With practices two times a week for the fall season, the Pandas’ cheer squad added a Sunday practice session to begin preparing for the winter competition season.  This involves performing two and a half minute routines to music.  The head coach is Maria Catalina and the assistant coach is Stacy Eby.  Team captains are seniors Carmella C., Emily E. and Kaitlyn M.

Padua Academy is celebrating two national banners and its most recent state championship title for the first ever competitive cheerleading state competition.  Padua Academy’s competitive cheerleading team earned its first state championship on February 1 at the Christiana High School Cheer Competition and another on February 8 at the Dover High School Cheer Competition.  The team continued its winning streak all the way to the Delaware Coaches Cheerleading Association State Championship competition on March 2 at McKean High School. In only two years of being a competitive team, the cheer team won the Pandas’ first ever state title in competitive cheerleading, which previously had been held by St. Mark’s for six years.

Following its state championship win, Padua attended the Grand National Competition sponsored by Cheer and Dance Extreme on March 21-23.  Padua brought its best tumbling skills, throwing, catching, and flying talent to the Virginia Beach Convention Center.  The Pandas took home first place, the team’s first ever national title, from among four teams in the division.  The team also earned the title of Grand Champion by scoring the highest in the High School Division, consisting of the 13 teams competing at the event.

The team consists of four seniors, ten juniors, six sophomores, and seven freshmen.  According to team manager, Yaya T., winning Nationals was well deserved and an important win for them.  She stated, “I love watching the new girls grow into their technique and watching the veterans become leaders and better their craft.  I could not be more proud of my girls for winning Nationals.  I can’t wait for another season of success for the team.”