Dec. 1, 2007

BALTIMORE, Md. - The Maryland competitive cheer team started its competitive season off with a win Saturday afternoon in Baltimore at the Charm City Dress Rehearsal competition, run by Spirit Unlimited.

The team performed its new routine for the first time in competition. "They were impressive. It was a great ending to our first semester. They worked really hard and they had minimal mistakes," said head coach Jarnell Bonds.

"I thought the routine went great," said senior tri-captain Natalie Booher. "Everyone was really strong and this showed the fight we've been through over the last semester. The freshmen did awesome. This was also the first time we've really hit it full out."

This marked the first performance for the 11 freshmen on the squad. "The crowd was amazing, especially the Maryland fans," said freshman Megan Salvatore.

Bonds said, "I spoke with the freshmen during stretching and they were all really focused and ready to represent Maryland, so I knew I had nothing to worry about. They looked like veterans on the floor."

The national championships in April were the last time the team performed in a competition setting. The Terps will spend the rest of the month preparing for their next competition January 19 in College Park.