Nathan Beitler/MDN The Minot North High School cheer team practices in the halls of the school to start their 2025-2026 season.

The Minot North High School cheer team held their first post-camp practice to kick off the start of the new season.

The first practice of the season for the Sentinels’ cheer team came after they completed their 2025 Universal Cheerleaders Association camp Thursday, August 7 and Friday, August 8. For the camp, the UCA sent several out of state instructors to help teach the team how to safely stunt, how to use correct motion techniques and how to work as a team in order to be successful all season long.

Teams that utilize camps put on by the UCA have the chance to win awards and recognition for performed routines and individual evaluations. During their camp, the Sentinels earned two Superior Trophies, a Superior Ribbon and the Golden Superior Ribbon. The Golden Superior Ribbon is the top award given out to cheer teams during the UCA camps.

“Ambitious. That’s a good word to use. Very ambitious,” said Minot North cheerleading coach Carly Johnson. “[We’re] very excited. We have a lot more girls this year than last year, so it will definitely be a new look for the team, but it’s going to be a good look. I think they are all really excited [too].”

Coach Johnson says their team is quite young this year. The cheer team over at Minot North had just one graduating senior on their team last year,Caoimha Kinkade, and only two seniors this year. She says the girls still miss their old teammate.

“Obviously it’s hard to fill the shoes we had last year, she was the first senior on the team,” said Coach Johnson. “We always miss having her around.”

Coach Johnson says that though she is now gone, Kinkade made a lasting impression on the team, and that impression is motivating the girls to work hard and do well this season.

Along with the team awards given during the Sentinels’ UCA camp, thirteen of the 32 athletes on the team were also named as UCA All-Americans. Makynzie Rogers, Jaylin Thomas-Joyner, Winter Getzlaff, Clover Getzlaff, Kiarra Diaz, Peyton Olson, Ashley Carr, Vreelyn Nygaard, Victoria Calderon, Rie Lonning, Alina Tran and Amelia Huus along with team captain Payton Stolba all earned UCA All-American medals during the camp. UCA All-Americans are individuals who showed exemplary skill and are invited to perform at special events access the country.