The cheer team finished second at the Southwestern Conference meet Jan. 26, placing behind O’Fallon and snapping their two-year conference winning streak.

“[It’s] definitely not the outcome we wanted,” senior Quinn David said. “We were hoping for first, but we did not manage to put out our best routine and fell short of what we know we could’ve accomplished.

According to David, in the week leading up to the meet, the team battled “injury and sickness” and couldn’t practice as a full group.

Still, for David, who was on last year’s state runner-up team, the goals are the same: the program’s first state win.

“These last two weeks of our season are the most important,” she said. “I think losing really showed us how easily something can happen if we are not putting in 110% effort every time.”

David said the team is optimistic despite the setback.

“Everyone is now coming in with a positive mindset and more passion than ever to prove we are the team,” she said.

Senior Josie Rutledge said the team is “focusing in on redemption.”

“[The loss] doesn’t really mean anything for state,” Rutledge said. “We’re still really hoping for first. It kind of shifted our perspective for practice, though. We’re pushing extra hard, getting extra reps. That’s been our big push this week, redeeming ourselves for losing that competition.”

The loss was narrow. Edwardsville finished with 91.13 points, 1.4 shy of the first-place Panthers. If it wasn’t for two missed stunts, which cost the Tigers two points, Edwardsville would have won three consecutive Southwestern Conference titles.

The team was also warned about a rule break, as they released a flyer who landed in an inverted position – a major legality that could cost the team if not corrected in sectionals or state.

“Overall, we can focus on more technique and cleanliness of skills, along with our voices, during our cheers,” Rutledge said.

Rutledge, who before this season has competitively cheered only for a private gym, says her teammates are taking the postseason more seriously than ever.

“Having never gone through sectionals and state before, it’s a lot more intense than All-Star Nationals were,” she said. “Everyone is so much more serious about wanting it and pushing themselves to achieve our goals these last few weeks.”

David said that the team is excited to build off of last year’s finish – the highest the program has ever placed.

“Not only the returning members, but everyone wants to prove that last year wasn’t our lucky year and [that] our program will stay building with strong teams and athletes,” David said. “This year, we strive for a feeling of accomplishment knowing our hard work was for something.”

Off the mat, this year’s team and last year’s are “pretty similar” in David’s view.

“Both years, we have created very close bonds with everyone on the team,” she said. “We all have a set goal in mind.”

Freshman Reagan Wetzel has been deeply to that goal, too. She doesn’t even know what she’ll do once the season ends.

“I am excited for a small break,” Wetzel said. “But [I] can’t wait for the next season to start shortly after, [and I’m] definitely unsure what I will be doing while I don’t have cheer practice.”

The team will head to Farmington for the sectional competition Feb. 1 and will compete at 3:44 p.m. A qualifying finish means they’ll compete at state Feb. 7.