Santa Maria ISD High School Varsity Cheerleaders Recognized at UCA

Updated: August 13, 2025

By Mike Villarreal

Get ready for an exciting season of Friday Night Lights, Santa Maria! This year marks a historic milestone, as Santa Maria High School Varsity Cheerleaders have achieved recognition as Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) Superior in several categories: Game Day Routine, Camp Routine, and the 2025 Superior category. We are thrilled to bring our enthusiasm and skills back to the sidelines this season!

Santa Maria ISD proudly announces the All-American Cheerleaders for the year, showcasing the exceptional talent within our squad:

Freshman: Gisselle Lugo
Sophomores: Miranda Alaniz, Odalys de la Rosa, Co-Captain Sophia Vargas
Junior: Aislinn Gonzalez
Senior: Captain Paulette Gomez

In addition to these distinguished honors, we celebrate Senior Nina Rodriguez as our Dance Diva, recognized for her outstanding performance and creativity, and Co-Captain Sophia Vargas, who has earned the title of Jump Queen for her impressive aerial skills and athleticism.

Over three exhilarating days filled with hard work, loud cheers, and unyielding spirit, the squad has pushed their limits, acquired new skills, and demonstrated a true passion for cheerleading and teamwork. The dedication and camaraderie among the cheerleaders have been genuinely inspiring.

The UCA offers a wide range of cheer camps tailored for cheerleaders of various ages and skill levels. These camps are designed to provide high-quality educational training that emphasizes skill progression, effective crowd leading, leadership development, and valuable team bonding experiences.

Attending these UCA camps also opens up the remarkable opportunity to try out for the prestigious title of UCA All-American. All senior cheerleaders are eligible to participate in these tryouts; for squads that do not have seniors, up to six members can be nominated for this honor. Junior High and Junior Varsity teams may also nominate up to six members. Typically, All-American tryouts take place on the third day of camp and involve performing a dance routine, a cheer, and executing a jump, showcasing each cheerleader’s skills and performance ability.

Being named an All-American can lead to incredible opportunities, including the chance to perform at special events across the nation and even internationally, as noted by Varsity.com. For instance, several past Sophomore, Junior, and Senior All-Americans have had the distinct privilege of participating in the prestigious London New Year’s Day Parade, creating unforgettable memories and showcasing their talent on an international stage.

We’re looking forward to a memorable season filled with hard work, teamwork, and spectacular performances!

Photos by Santa Maria ISD Facebook page