Columbus, Ohio and the Columbus Convention Center were home to the 2007 Northeast Nationals, hosted by American Cheer Power. This competition marks the end of the season for most teams and this year proved to have some very talented athletes.

Friday began with individual competition. This is where an individual has the opportunity to compete in categories ranging from jumps all the way to crowd pleaser, which incorporates several elements. Athletes also have the chance to participate with one or two other athletes to compete in duos or trios. Having this portion of the competition experience just offers another opportunity to perform. Opening ceremonies were also held on Friday night.

Saturday morning began bright and early, with doors opening at 7 in the morning. Three floors were being used simultaneously, each with different levels and categories. Most of the high school age students were competing in an area called Battelle Hall. The first part of the day was reasonably smooth and running on schedule. The all-star competitors, through level 3, had competed and were enjoying their award ceremony when, without any warning, the lights went out in Battelle Hall. Suddenly, it was pitch black, everyone was shouting and confused but the convention center was able to use the back up system to get a few dim flood lights on. Once this happened (in only a matter of minutes) people were able to safely exit the exhibit hall. There were still several questions that needed answering: obviously, what caused the power outage, how could we continue the competition, when could we continue the competition, and when were the lights coming back on. In the span of about an hour and a half it was learned that it was not only the competition facility and the hotel directly adjacent that were without power, but the entire block that was temporarily out of order. The estimated time frame for service to be restored was 20 mins.- 2 hours. With five hours worth of competition remaining, such a vague time frame and the knowledge of how long it would actually take to be up and going after the lights were back on, owner Regina Symmons decided to allow the scores from Sunday's competition to count one hundred percent instead of the usual 25%/75%. In talking with coaches at the competition, the general consensus seemed to be that the best decision was made and the situation was handled as well as it could have been, considering how far out of anyone's control the matter was.

After the unexpected break, Sunday was another early to rise morning, with doors opening again at 7am. All things considered, the day went beautifully. The level 3 competitors that had already performed the previous day got to perform for the second portion of their score and the level 4, 5 and 6 teams prepared to take the floor for the first time. The entire event was being professionally videotaped by Digital Cheer, but Sunday had even more crew around because it was being recorded for television. These elements, coupled with the previous day's excitement, partnered to create an energy that lingered through the day and exploded into the final awards ceremony. To get a complete listing of placements from each of the divisions check the American Cheer Power website (www.cheerpower.com).

Once the action was over, I was able to catch up with All Star Legacy coach Aaron Hermes to ask some questions about the team's success. Among the Dulles, VA based gym's many awards this past weekend, they earned special recognition for their outstanding program. I asked Aaron how they prepared for each of the competitions they attended and he felt that trying to predict a judging panels expectations by being extremely familiar with the score sheet allowed their teams to tailor their efforts successfully. According to Aaron, having had exposure to a particular company's style can make a difference also.

Whatever the teams were using as their strategy for success, it was working. There were lots of great competitors and fun routines to watch. In spite of the technical difficulties caused by the power outage, the competition was a success.

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