Manatee High sending its cheerleaders to defend their title

The Manatee High School varsity cheerleading team is headed to the University of Florida this weekend for the Florida High School Competitive Cheerleading State Championships in hopes of taking home its fifth straight state championship title.

“This will be our fifth competition this season, and the team is strong and ready to compete. We’ve added additional levels of difficulty to our routine and are ready to show our Cane pride. Our motto this season is ‘Fighting for Five,’” said cheerleading coach Ashley Choate.

The 30-member varsity team is made up of girls ages 14 to 18 and will compete against the best high school teams in the state, according to a press release.

Manatee High will be the only school in Manatee County competing at the event.

After this weekend’s competition the team will begin preparations for the National High School Cheerleading Championship, which will be held at Walt Disney World on Feb. 11 and 12.

This story was originally published January 27, 2017 at 6:22 PM with the headline "Manatee High sending its cheerleaders to defend their title."