Bay High senior Samaria Peters signs with West Florida cheer

Bay High senior cheerleader Samaria “Peanut” Peters has turned years of hard work into a college opportunity, signing to continue her cheerleading career at the University of West Florida.

Peters was part of Bay High's competition cheer team that qualified for nationals this season and finished seventh in the nation, capping off a memorable senior year before taking the next step to the collegiate level.

Fellow Bay High Cheer signing Bay High's Kingsley Guidas signs with University of North Florida cheer

Local football star details college Mosley alum Raedyn Bruens finds his footing with Rutgers football

The signing marked the culmination of four years of growth and perseverance.

“It’s been really hard to get where I’m going now,” Peters said. “From the crazy teams I’ve been on to winning seventh in the nation.”

While the national finish was a highlight, Peters said the end of her high school career brought mixed emotions.

“It was very emotional that last time, I was on the verge of crying. I was like, ‘I’m going to stay strong for my little girls,'" she said. "Throughout the season, it was just like, ‘It’s OK, I’m a senior. I’m going to be done with it finally.’ But then when it finally came, I was sad.”

Peters said she cheered when she was younger but did not really think of it until she got older.

“I cheered when I was little, but I never really advanced in cheer,” she said. “Then my best friend got me into it freshman year, and we just liked it ever since.”

By her junior year, Peters knew she wanted to continue cheerleading in college.

“Definitely my junior year,” she said. “I was just getting better and better every year. I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m definitely going to do it.’ I’d seen videos of college cheerleaders — the flyers — and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, I want to flip in the air.’”

Peters said she chose West Florida over other options, including Troy, after deciding it was the best fit.

“My friend Chloe said she wanted to go, and I was like, ‘Yeah, why not?’” Peters said. “It was either there or Troy because I went to their stunt clinic, and I really loved them too.”

Adebanji Bamidele is a sports reporter for the Panama City News Herald. He can be reached at abamidele@gannett.com or through X, formerly known as Twitter, @AdebanjiBamide1.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Bay High senior Samaria Peters signs with West Florida cheer