This summer the De Soto High School cheer team took a weekend trip down to Emporia State University to attend a National Cheer Association Camp.

The team was successful in winning various awards. In addition to the awards, people received All-America nominations.

An All-American nomination means that a NCA staff member saw a cheerleader excel in a certain area. Then, that cheerleader is invited to tryout to be on the All-America team.

Senior co-captain Alex Deghand was one of the girls to receive this honor. She then went through the tryout process which included a tumbling pass, if you could tumble, three jumps and then performing the camp cheer.

In Deghand’s junior year, she made the All-American team and decided to tryout again senior year, despite her ankle injury. She ended up making the team for the second time.

“Being chosen to be on the team for the second time is an honor. I feel really good about myself and very accomplished,” Deghand said.

Being on the All-America team means you can do a lot of different activities with cheerleading outside of school. Some of those things include, marching in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, being a part of the New Years celebration in London and in the Christmas parade at Disneyworld.

“I have not been able to do anything because it costs a lot of money. I hope to be able to this year though,” Deghand said.

In addition to being a part of the six girls chosen to be on the All-America team from the ESU camp, she was also invited to try out to become a part of the NCA staff. Although Deghand can not try out to be a part of the staff for next year, because she will not be 18 by December, she wants to try out in the future.

“One of the staff members brought the team up and gave me the forms and asked me in front of the team. I can’t do it next summer, but it is something I want to try out for when I can,” Deghand said.