LYMAN, Neb. - Sometimes you have to go at it alone, and that’s exactly what Katrina Kohel did.The 17-year-old Morrill High School senior gained national recognition for competing— by herself— at the Nebraska state cheerleading championship on Feb.
17.Days before the event, her three other teammates quit."The three freshmen quit for personal reasons," Kohel told FOX Television Stations.RELATED: WATCH: North Carolina Women's Lacrosse Team Help Push Bus Unstuck in FairfaxKohel said her coach encouraged her to either go to the championship as a a spectator or a competitor.
She chose the latter."I decided I wanted to go and still compete because I wanted to end my senior year with a bang, and I didn’t want to give up on cheerleading because it has been such a huge part of my life," she continued.Video captured Kohel cheering solo on the mat at the event in Grand Island, Nebraska.
She moved around the mat picking up different pom-poms and performing various cheers and moves. Katrina Kohel had to go at it alone when her squad days before the big meet. (Credit: Rhoda Kohel)Kohel said she wasn’t nervous until she stepped into the arena."I wasn’t (nervous) at first and then we got into the arena...and it all kind of started to hit me...and it felt like more real in the fact that I was there competing by myself," she continued.RELATED: Steph Curry takes daughter Riley to Stanford game, continues support for women's basketballNot only did Kohel complete her routine, the crowd and her competitors cheered her on."It felt amazing," she continued. "It was just so awe-inspiring to me that they were willing to do that even though I was their competition."Her grandparents attended the event and recorded Kohel’s solo routine.