VIENNA — The cheerleaders of Maries R-1 have spent months practicing on hardwood floors and have been lighting up the gymnasium on game nights for months, but nothing compares to what comes next. Eleven Vienna cheerleaders will soon scatter across the country and even across the ocean to perform in some of the most celebrated parades in the world. For the high schoolers, the destinations include Hawaii and London. For the middle schoolers, the Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia is waiting. It is rare enough for a small school to send one All-American cheerleader to a national event. Vienna is sending nearly a dozen.

The high school squad explained how the honor works. At UCA camp, staff members can nominate cheerleaders who display advanced technical skill, strong leadership and reliable character. The nominations are not guaranteed, nor are they common and the group knew the weight of receiving one. Grace Miller, Kia Ross, Josalin Sharp, Elizabeth Chambers and Noah Rollins-Pendleton will travel to Hawaii to perform in the Pearl Harbor Day Parade. JoHanna Hutchison, the lone London selection, will cross the Atlantic for the New Year’s performance.

The high schoolers described everything they were looking forward to, from beaches to crowds to trying new things far from home. Miller spoke about what makes the All-American experience meaningful.

“Meeting all the people there is the best part,” she said. “Everyone comes from different states and you learn a lot about how other teams cheer.”

She laughed when talking about swimming with sea turtles, one of the moments she hopes to experience in Hawaii.

Others are focused on controlling their nerves. Sharp joked that her biggest worry before the trip is finding the right dress. She said that choosing outfits for the big events feels almost as stressful as the performance itself.

Chambers talked about the parade route and the fear of falling. It was half joke, half truth. The trip is exciting but walking a historic parade route in front of huge crowds carries its own pressure. Still, none of the nerves outweigh the chance to be part of something so few teens ever experience.

JoHanna Hutchison, who will attend the London parade instead of Hawaii, described the choice as an easy one. London had always been her dream. The history, the culture, the atmosphere of Europe. When her nomination arrived and she had to choose between the two destinations, she followed her instinct. She wants to stand along London’s winter streets, bundled up, hearing dozens of accents around her, performing with cheerleaders from all over the world.

“I’m really excited to experience London, because it’s overseas,” Hutchison said. “Touring all of the historical buildings and the area is something I’m looking forward to.”

While the high school team prepares for ocean views or European winter, the middle school cheerleaders are facing a different kind of adventure. Five of them will travel to Philadelphia to perform in the oldest parade in America. Some have been chosen All-American multiple years in a row. Others earned the honor for the first time this summer. Harper Cohlmia, Emma Sandbothe, Monica Russell, Veronica Helton and Kaylee Fawcett were the students chosen to take on the adventure.

They explained the All-American process with practiced confidence in their experience. At the end of camp, the entire group forms a circle. Staff members begin calling names. Cards are handed out. Medals normally arrive by mail, though this year they had to sign up for them because they were out of stock.

Similar to high school cheer, emotions ranged from excitement to nerves. Sandbothe said she couldn’t wait to leave Missouri and see new things, though part of her was afraid she might miss something back home.

“I’m excited to go and see everything, but I’m also kind of nervous at the same time,” Sandbothe said. “like if I miss out, but it’s natural. So it is, it is.

Cohlmia spoke clearly about what she looks forward to most.

“I’m most excited to meet everyone in Philadelphia,” she said. “And get to cheer with other people our age.”

Her teammates echoed that feeling in their own ways. There will be over 1,000 cheerleaders at the parade, according to the Cohlmia.

The tone shifted to loud laughter when Fawcett admitted,

“I’m most excited to be on TV,” she said.

The group said the parade organizes performers by state, which means the Missouri team will stay together.

The MS cheer squad will perform two routines in Philadelphia, repeating one cheer through the entire parade and closing with a finale. The day will be long, cold and full of crowds, but they are ready for it. Both parades will be available to watch on TV or online if interested.

In her third year coaching, Kara Cohlmia has had the unique experience of guiding this team while also watching her daughter Harper Cohlmia grow through the program.

“I started because Harper needed a cheer coach,” she said. “But now I stay because I love them all like my own.”

Kara Cohlmia has watched the team change in ways that matter.

“They started working together more,” she said. “There’s less drama and they’re pushing themselves. Most of all, they’re proud of themselves.”

As a parent, she feels none of the fear that some parents express about sending their children on long trips.

“I’m so excited for my daughter and the whole team,” she said. “They’ve been practicing and even right before practice today, they already had everything down.”

Assisting Cohlmia in the coaching position is assistant cheer coach Carrie Kleffner.

With nearly a dozen cheerleaders representing Vienna at national and international events, the program’s growth is undeniable. Each performance is a chance for the students to see the world, meet new people and learn how far their hard work can take them. For a small school tucked into rural Missouri, it is something remarkable.

The middle school roster (including those not named all-american) include Harper Cohlmia as captain, Emma Sandbothe as co-captain, Monica Russell, Aubrey Scherr, Veronica Helton, Autumn Wilkes, Haven Holterman, Kaleigh Redel, Kaylee Fawcett, Addison Robertson and Lukas Jenkins, with Kael Peters serving as mascot.

The high school roster includes Grace Miller as captain, JoHanna Hutchison as co-captain, Aleksa Baker, Kia Ross, Kyra Peters, Torri Tyler, Josalin Sharp, Elizabeth Chambers, Noah Rollins-Pendleton, and Myka Metcalf, with Jordan Hatfield as mascot.

Every one of them carries the same mission. Represent Vienna well. Lift each other up. Show the world what a small community can accomplish when it believes in its kids.

As homecoming draws near, the Cheerleaders of Vienna HS will be in performance mode later this week.

“Homecoming is a big part of basketball and cheer,” Miller said. “Just to show what we’re proud of and what we can be. We train the entire first half of the season just for that night, and everybody comes together in the town on that night to see.