ANAHEIM : Cheerleaders Rise to the Occasion Despite the Jitters

Before they leaped and sprung to their championships, thousands of young cheerleaders’ tummies churned and swirled with excitement and anxiety.

“I’m sooo nervous,” said Veronica DeJesus, a Ygnacio Valley High School sophomore in the Bay Area, before she entered center stage. “We worked really hard to get here.”

About 5,000 cheerleaders from across the country who gathered at the Anaheim Convention Center on Friday strutted their stuff and shouted with all their might at the 10th annual USA National Spirit Competition.

The two-day event, the largest in the Western region of the United States, attracted schools from as far away as Hawaii and Canada. Most of the Orange County schools, about 12, are scheduled to compete today. The winners will be recognized tonight.

For many out-of-state competitors, the contest was an opportunity to visit Disneyland and sunny California for the first time.

The Ruidoso High School team from New Mexico arrived with arms linked and intense concentration. Before their time came to compete, the girls knelt on the floor with heads bowed in the center’s quiet corridor.

“It’s been a tough year,” said Lita Reyes, 18, with the Ruidoso varsity team. “We lost a schoolmate in an accident just two weeks ago.”

Despite the loss of their friend and two other squad members who left the team just weeks before, Reyes said, “We pulled together and we’re going to do great!”

Elated team members from Palos Verdes Peninsula High School skipped off the stage after their first performance. Hard work and a lot of confidence, they said, are the keys to a top-notch routine.

Jody Raum, with the Peninsula High varsity team, said most of her time since the summer has been spent practicing. But it’s all worth it, said the junior-year competitor, who has been cheerleading since the fourth grade.

“I love cheerleading,” Raum said. “The rush is unbelievable.”