This is it. The day she’s been nervously anticipating for the past two weeks. With her hair neatly braided, dressed in a white tank and black shorts she slowly makes her way down the hallway, only to stop just short of the gym door. She takes a deep breath to calm her nerves, but just as she has her emotions under control, the door opens. It’s her turn. With her heart beating out of her chest Varsity Cheerleader Makenze Martinez runs in the gym, smile on her face and takes her place. Cheerleading tryouts are often the most nerve wracking part of a girl’s high school career. All those trying out get their hopes up, whether they admit it or not and hope not to be let down. “It was stressful as always,” Martinez said. “But I felt good throughout the clinic and was ready for Thursday.” Though many of the girls had a hard time during both the clinic and the tryout, it helps to have gone through it all before. “They were easier this year,” new Varsity Cheer Captain Sara Finkler said. “The judges smiled this year, so it eased the pressure and wasn’t as intimidating.” It also seemed that this year more than others before a lot of the candidates had conflicts and often fell ill. “By having the cold and having a sore throat,  I didn’t talk the whole day,” Finkler said. “But a lot of the girls were sick, like my whole group was coughing, but somehow I dug deep, and my voice came through. I also had district for golf during the clinic, it was tough missing a day, but despite the golf-cheer conflict, it was a good week.” Candidates who have gone through the process before and succeeded offer much advice to next year’s hopefuls. “I would say the future girls just really need to pay attention in the clinic,” Finkler said. “Practice the dance with music and don’t stress too much, have fun and enjoy it. Be spirited and smile big.”