ORLANDO, Fla. - The UM Cheer team left early Monday morning to head to Orlando, Florida for the UCA College Cheerleading Nationals competition.
 
 The team has talked about competition for 4 years and it has fallen through every time. This will be the first time in school history that the cheer team will compete. They also made history when they held a showcase on Sunday, April 25 to show their routine.
 
 4 seniors who have been on the team all four years have been promised competition every single year. Cindy Shelton, Carlee Loyd, Madie Young and Morgan Leonard are the remaining 4 members from the 2017-2018 season. Olivia Owens joined them during the 2018-2019 season as a sophomore.
 
 These 5 have been through it all: the ups and downs, the hard practices and workouts, seeing teammates come and go, multiple coaches, and they are the core of the team and the reason there is still a cheer team at UM. They are all excited to be able to compete, even if it took them 4 years.
 
 "I am so excited that the UM cheer team is finally getting the opportunity to go and compete at nationals! For us four that have been here since day one our freshman year, competition has been something we have been promised from the start and it felt like no matter how hard we tried things kept falling through. Last year was the first time that competition really was in our reach but then the pandemic hit. Now being a senior and looking back on all the moments that got us to this point I wouldn't trade them for anything! Being able to watch this program grow and knowing that we get to start the legacy of competing and a program that is just beginning to thrive makes my heart so happy and I can not wait to come back as an Alum and see how the team continues to grow!" said Shelton.
 
 Young says, "Being that the only reason I came to Montevallo was to cheer competitively finally being able to do that is a dream come true. This team, especially the returners, have overcome so much to get to this point. No matter the outcome I am proud to say we finally reached our goal of stepping on the competition floor. A huge thank you to my fellow teammates for allowing me to be a part of the leadership of this team. And an even bigger thank you to Coach Melissa for getting us here. I am more than excited for next week."
 
 "After everything we have been through, I'm super excited to get to compete. I'm grateful that I am part of the reason this team is making history. This team has worked hard for everything they do and I wouldn't trade this team for the world. Getting to compete is something I've always wanted to do, and I'm now getting the opportunity to do so. A huge thank you to Coach Melissa Stano for seeing the potential in us and getting us this far." Loyd said.
 
 Leonard says, "I am absolutely ecstatic about heading to nationals. It's feels kinda crazy that we are actually heading to competition this time. We have worked so hard for this over the last four years only for something to come up and keep us from being able to go. Now that we are actually seeing our hard work pay off... it is a surreal feeling. We have been preparing for this week for a long time and we plan to give it all we got and bring home a nice shiny trophy at the end of the week."
 
 "I am extremely excited to be competing at nationals! I think that we have had many obstacles to get past to get to the point that we are now, but I think those obstacles have made us better skill wise as well as better teammates. I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to become a leader for my team, as well as on campus." said Owens.
 
 Terriana Richardson and Ed Howard joined the team during the 2019-2020 season and are graduating from UM this May along with the Fab 5. Everyone who knows Ed, knows he's the life of the party. Ed was a transfer from Southwest Mississippi Community College. He met the UM cheer team at UCA camp at the University of Alabama and wanted to join the team right away. He saw the potential in the team and he dedicated his time to becoming a member of the team and contributing his time and hard work for the team.
 
 Terriana says, "I am very excited to compete. This is my first time competing in a national competition something I've always dreamed of doing but never had a chance. This year has proved to our cheer team that cheerleaders do make a difference. All in all I've learned a good cheerleader is not measured by the height of her jumps but by the span of her spirit."
 
 The team competes Tuesday and Wednesday, April 27-28 at ESPN World of Sports at Walt Disney World. Follow the team on their Facebook group at "UM Cheer and Dance College Nationals 2021" to keep up with their journey of competing for the first time. Results will be posted later in the week.