Iowa School for the Deaf cheer squad wins first place. Now, they want to be heard.

The Iowa School for the Deaf's four-member cheer squad made school history last month by scoring first place at a regional competition, but they say their victory speaks volumes.

Coach Renca Dunn said deaf schools are often compared to rural schools; their student body is likely smaller, with fewer sports programs and after-school clubs. The Iowa School for the Deaf (ISD) in Council Bluffs serves about 99 students, from pre-K through high school, said Megan Shama, the team's other coach.

That's why their team's win at this year's 34th Annual Great Plains Schools for the Deaf Conference is special.

It's not about the title, Dunn said. It's about putting the ISD Bobcats and other deaf schools on the map — and not counting them out.

"It gives them these opportunities to be able to say, 'You know what? I am a proud deaf woman,'" Dunn explained. "That right there is so wonderful and so important. It's historical what they did. They will always remember this for the rest of their lives and be walking with pride, showing that a deaf school did this."

'We rely on the feeling'

But the road to victory came with some challenges.

This year's squad — which included two seniors, Britany Adame and Kalista Nipper; sophomore Ashley Vera-Nieto and freshman Rifenta Kisichy — came with different experiences, skill sets and fears to overcome. The cheer team went against six out-of-state schools, with ISD as this year's host.

Though the performance was only a few minutes long, the cheerleaders told the Des Monies Register the routine took weeks for them to perfect. Fifteen-year-old Kisichy, the team's newest member, said she never cheered before and buckled down to learn the steps, while Vera-Nieto, 16, had to shake off the nerves to pull off a new stunt.

That, Vera-Nieto said, required her to break out of her shell and trust herself, coaches and teammates.

She remembered telling them she didn't want to try the basket toss, a stunt that would send her flying through the air, with her teammates at the ready to catch her.

"But they encouraged me to have confidence in myself," she said.

Throughout the interview with the Register, those two words — trust and confidence — continued to pop up. The coaches said their team this year had passion and chemistry and was consistent, qualities that translated well onto the dance floor.

Some people may wonder how the ISD cheer team pieced their routine together since they don't rely on sound.

Shama and Dunn said they first teach their cheerleaders the steps and use the vibrations of a steady beat drum to set the pace and keep the rhythm in place. Drums play a big role, with each bang informing the next moves, poses or form changes.

In the Deaf culture, Dunn said drums are seen as a "mediator," especially in sports games because they connect the cheerleaders, the crowd and the players together.

"We rely on the feeling," Dunn said.

Echoing her coach, 17-year-old Nipper said she and her teammates have varying degrees of hearing loss and can "only feel the beat" of the dream.

"That's how we know how to move," she said. "We need to feel that, and that's how we choreograph. Sometimes, if we're a little off or ahead, that's OK. As long as we girls are in sync with each other."

With competition season now over and half of the team graduating soon, the coaches, Vera-Nieto and Kisichy are looking ahead to next year and winning first place again. Vera-Nieto said she's already started recruiting and is trying to convince two male students to join.

"She's motivated," Shama said about Vera-Nieto. "She has that hunger, and she wants to have a repeat of this (next) year."

Shama reiterated how tough it can be to rebuild the team and find new members, with deaf schools having such a small student population. They have to be creative, and hopefully, their win will inspire others to try out.

"The ISD cheer team, you know, we're here," she said.

F. Amanda Tugade covers social justice issues for the Des Moines Register. Email her at ftugade@dmreg.com or follow her on Twitter @writefelissa.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa School for the Deaf cheer team wins first place