A Bronx team that raised more than $30,000 to compete at the National High School Cheerleading Championship in Florida took seventh place in their division at the event.
The James Monroe Eagles, a team made up of students from schools at the James Monroe Educational Campus in Soundview, competed in the junior varsity non-tumbling division this past weekend in Orlando, where they came in seventh out of eight teams.
Sonja Williams, one of the team’s coaches, said they were disappointed by the results of the competition but maintained that the overall experience was still very valuable, especially given that this was the first year the Eagles took part in the event.
In order to afford the trip to Florida, the Eagles held a successful GoFundMe campaign that aimed to raise $30,000 and ultimately raised $33,185.
The team received a massive outpouring of support during their fundraising drive from places ranging from local elected officials to Degree Deodorant.
The Eagles qualified to compete at nationals after a regional competition on December 10, 2017 on Long Island, and they made it into the finals at the Florida competition.
