So many athletes are able to recall their final moment of competition. Whether it’s with the ultimate thrill of victory that so few get to experience or whether it’s the feeling of giving it your all and coming up short, that moment is the payoff for years of hard work.

 

Bridgeport High School’s Alaina Shreves never had the chance to experience that during her senior year as an Indians’ cheerleader. Sure, she cheered on the sidelines for football and basketball game and was even an alternate for the competition squad. However, fate had stepped in long before regional and state competition began this past school year and Shreves was left with an empty feeling.

 

“When you have that last chance to compete, you always remember what was going through your mind. I didn’t get that chance,” said Shreves. “It made me want to cheer even more and it made me realize that even though my high school cheerleading career was over, I wasn’t ready to quit cheerleading.”

 

For those that think Shreves inability to be part of the competition squad as opposed to a spectator was related to her inability to be at the high level that was needed would be wrong. Rather, Shreves went into her senior year coming off of surgery and was unable to compete successfully for a spot on the competition squad.

 

Shreves noticed tingling in her hands and occasional numbness and was diagnosed with Cubital Tunnel Syndrome, which is similar to Carpal Tunnel. This, however, requires a fix to be made through the elbow.

 

“I really thought I’d be ready for tryouts when they came in August, but it didn’t go as planned. No matter how hard I trained, I couldn’t be on the competition squad, those girls had all worked hard through August and I couldn’t,” said Shreves. “I was devastated.”

 

Devastated, but not deterred. As it turns out, Shreves career didn’t end as she watched her teammates finish as runners-up for the Class AA state championship this past school year. Instead, it will continue with 20 others at a school that features a number of Division I sports, including men’s and women’s basketball. She'll be cheering at all the football games as well as home men's and women's basketball games.

 

Shreves will continue her career with another Tribe – this one at William & Mary College in Williamsburg, Va. And while the fact that she made the squad is impressive, how she made it is even more impressive.

 

“I knew I wanted to try out and had contacted the coach and one of the captains about tryouts and when they were going to be. They didn’t know for sure, but they told me it would be in the summer,” said Shreves.

 

There was one little problem with not knowing the date. Shreves was again having problems in her hand with the same ailment and her doctor wanted her to have a second surgery. And the day after they had the surgery, she got an email posting the date for the tryout for the William and Mary Cheerleading squad.

 

“It was unbelievable, but I was determined to get a chance,” said Shreves.

 

Determination came in the form of asking the coach if she could do anything to get a shot. The coach opted to at least look at what Shreves had to offer and asked her to put together a video and send it in. And the fact that Shreves had access to highlight videos from competition as a freshman, sophomore and junior wasn’t the only thing that benefited her. Her ability to work with media formats allowed her to work on a highlight tape.

 

“I spent days cutting clips out and getting that tape ready,” said Shreves. “Then, the day after I got my stitches out I filmed myself doing jumps and dance. The only thing I couldn’t do for the video was the stunts.”

Apparently, it proved to be good enough. Again, though, it would come with more than the normal share of anxious moments.

 

Shreves was told that those that made the squad could find out on the Tribe’s Facebook page. During the days that it was expected to be posted, Shreves said she was actually on a cruise in Europe.

 

“Every port we stopped in, if it had free internet, I would basically stalk the page and refresh it trying to find out,” said Shreves. “I can’t remember the date, but I was so tired from checking and so tired from the trip that when I was in an airport in Switzerland getting ready to leave I found out I made it. I was so tired I actually thought I was dreaming.”

 

While it wasn’t a dream, it did signal the start of a new journey. Shreves’ journey begins August 15 with cheerleading camp at the University of Virginia and then she has orientation starting August 22 at William & Mary.

 

“I should be cleared to cheer by then. I go back to the doctor (this) week,” she Shreves, who is undecided on her studies but plans on taking a pre-med track. “I fully expect to be cleared medically by August 1.”

 

That means after August 1 she’ll be allowed to start doing stunts and tumbling again. And she’ll be able to get back into the sport she fell in love with late in middle school.

 

“I used to play soccer, but I wanted to be part of something different and had friends who were cheerleading and I kind of randomly decided in middle school I wanted to do that. I started watching YouTube on how to tumble and began practicing and stretching,” she said. “From that point forward, I just loved it. I’m glad I will still be doing this in college.”

 

Editor's Note: Top photo of Alaina Shreves by Ben Queen of www.benqueenphotography.com. Bottom two photos provided by Alaina Shreves.