The Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf Trojan cheer team has been performing out of Faribault since the 1940s, but January 2026 marked something new: their first time competing in a hearing competition. The squad relies on drums and visual cues to stay in rhythm, a setup that lets every cheerleader hit the same beat without hearing the music itself.
Coaches Marika Ulrich, who is deaf, and Coach Miller, who is hearing and has a deaf daughter, lead the team together. Ulrich signs the instruction while Miller demonstrates the motions, giving the cheerleaders both the explanation and the visual. Team members Mya Palmer and Sophia Nelson point to that combination as a big part of why the routines come together.
The Trojans didn’t place at the January event since they were the only team in their division, but they followed it up with a third-place finish at the Great Plains Schools for the Deaf competition in February 2026. What do you think it takes for more teams like this to get a spot on the mat?
