The Entire Squad QUIT On Her, But This Cheerleader Decided To Keep Going…

When faced with adversity, some people give up and go home. But one high school cheerleader from Morrill, however, a Nebraska cheerleader decided to keep going despite all of her teammates quitting on her.

As a senior in high school, Katrina Kohel wanted to compete in the state’s cheer competition alongside other cheer squads that traveled from far and wide to perform in front of the judges. Before the Nebraska State and Dance Championships, three freshmen cheerleaders quit the Morrill High School cheerleading squad for personal reasons, leaving only Kohel to perform. But instead of throwing in the towel, Kohel refused to give up and decided to compete for solo to represent her high school and fight for the state championship.

With the majority of the cheerleading squad gone, Kohel and her coach April Ott had a tough decision to make. Should they give up their dream of competing in the state championship or travel five hours from home to Grand Island, Nebraska for three days of cheerleading competition against high schools from all over the state?

Kohel didn’t want to give up. After talking to her mother, the high school senior approached coach Ott and told her that she wanted to compete even if she was the only one on stage. Kohel had worked tirelessly to perfect the cheerleading routine throughout the entire season and was determined to compete, even if it meant performing solo in front of the entire state of Nebraska.

“I kind of knew as soon as I found out I was going to be the only one that I still wanted to go out and cheer even if I was going to be myself. It wasn’t a hard decision,” Kohel said.

Cheerleading had been a part of Kohel’s life for all four years of high school. She had dreamed of being a cheerleader ever since her parents took her to a high school sports game when she was just a little girl.

Kohel said, “I’ve put a lot of time into cheer. It’s just always been a part of who I am, so I didn’t want to end on that note. I wanted to go out on a high one. For that to come true, I didn’t want to end it just by going to watch state. I wanted to compete.”

Kohel and Ott got to work re-choreographing the routine, which had originally been designed for four cheerleaders. Despite the pressure of being the only one on stage, Kohel exuded confidence and performed flawlessly.

“She was completely confident the whole week that we practiced. It was just 100% confidence, and she just owned it,” Ott said.

Kohel was the first solo performer at the state championship. She didn’t let the fact that she was alone on stage phase her. She put on a stellar performance and received a standing ovation from the crowd.

Ott said she was “super proud of (Kohel) for wanting to finish what she started.”

Kohel’s story is an inspiration to everyone who has ever faced adversity. She could have easily given up when her teammates quit, but instead, she chose to keep going and achieved something truly remarkable. Her dedication and perseverance in the face of adversity show that anything is possible with hard work and determination.

WATCH the video below:

Sources: AWM, WSJ, Thespun

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