Cheer 2: Why Cassadee Dunlap & Jada Wooten Left Navarro & TVCC

The reality docuseries Cheerseason 2 introduced a handful of new cheerleaders from Navarro College and Trinity Valley Community College, with two of the most notable athletes, Cassadee Dunlap and Jada Wooten, sharing the reasoning behind their plans for the future. With only nine episodes and a lot to cover since Cheer season 2, Cassadee and Jada made quite a name for themselves in the sophomore season, showcasing their skills on the mat, as well as their ability to lift up their teammates.

While season 1 focused mainly on Navarro’s squad preparing for Daytona 2019, the focus seemed to shift to Trinity Valley during season 2. Covering the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons, fans saw a number of veterans briefly return for season 2, including Lexi Brumback and La’Darius Marshall. Fans were also introduced to a handful of second and third-year veterans, as well as first-year squad members that quickly stepped into the spotlight. While both schools seemingly had their most talented squads yet, the 2019-2020 season ended prematurely a week before Daytona due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the heartbreak of the 2019-2020 season, the latter half of season 2 focused on how each of the team was preparing for Daytona 2021, ending with the crowning of a new National Champion.

Cassadee Dunlap

After joining the Navarro squad for the 2019-2020 season, Cassadee returned for the 2020-2021 season, hoping for another chance at a National Championship. A standout tumbler, fans saw her relationship with Navarro flyer and roommate Gillian Rupert grow tremendously. Over the course of the season, Cassadee helped Gillian to overcome her struggles with confidence and comforted her after her stunt group struggled on the mat at Daytona. Cassadee also spoke openly about her time as a child reality TV star, after appearing in TLC’s Toddlers & Tiaras and Cheer Perfection. She shared that her experiences being in the spotlight when she was very young taught her to “smile through the pain.”

However, at the end of season 2, Cassadee revealed her decision to move on from Navarro, even though Gillian had decided to come back for another chance at a Cheer championship. Cassadee explained; “Cheerleading. It’s not everybody’s future. So I decided I wanted to start my future. Now. Whereas she wants a shot at that ring.” Although it seemed like Cassadee had said goodbye to the sport forever, in June of 2021, she announced her decision to continue her cheer career at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas.

Jada Wooten

When viewers first met Jada in season 2, the third-year Trinity Valley squad member had been dealing with lingering mental blocks following a bad fall in earl 2019. The accident caused a series of injuries, forcing Jada to step back from cheerleading for a few months. However, over the course of season 2, Jada credited TVCC’s coach Vontae Johnson with helping her become the best version of herself. The Georgia native eventually spent the latter half of the 2021 season as the team’s biggest motivator and leader, helping to lead the young team to their 12th national championship.

Following TVCC’s win, Jada shared her decision to continue cheering elsewhere with viewers, after three seasons with the Cardinals. She stated that the rationale behind the decision was that it simply felt like time for her to move on. She wanted a change and the chance to see what she could do somewhere else. In May of 2021, it was announced that the Cheer star officially transferred to Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. Since then, Jada has been cheering with the Bearkats large coed squad, and recently placed 5th in UCA’s Partner Stunt Competition with Lou Will.

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