The cheer world asked, and The Stingray Allstars answered: Apple is back, and we couldn’t be happier!

The Stingray Allstars held their tryouts for the 2018-19 season this week and when the announcement of the teams came, the return of Stingray Apple was revealed. But this time, the Apple Rays are taking on a new division, Open 5.

Well that was a gRayt nap! Time to wake up and take on the world again!! pic.twitter.com/cHZOpx84Xr

— Apple_Rays1 (@Apple_Rays1) May 16, 2018

FloCheer caught up with Apple’s head coach, Charlie Asciutto, to get all the details about Apple’s return.

“As a staff, we are really pumped about Apple coming back,” Asciutto explained. “The uniforms, music, and vibe of this team really was something special! We want to keep the Apple feel that the original coaches created and just add a little twist.”

And a twist is what we got. Before The Stingray Allstars said goodbye to Apple after The Cheerleading Worlds 2017, the team had always competed in the Senior Small Level 5 division. The coaching staff changed things up and the team is moving into one of the brand-new divisions for the upcoming season.

“We decided on taking on the Open 5 division due to the amazing amount of talent at tryouts! We had so many great athletes and we felt like the makeup of this team really suits that division well.”

This season, Apple is made up of younger athletes, but they bring with them plenty of experience! The team is comprised of new and returning Stingray athletes and most live within an hour of the gym.

“We feel that this is awesome since it can help bring different strengths to the team,” Ascuitto added. “We will have a full team and as of now; we do not have any specific leaders. As time passes we will encourage the natural leaders to step up and help the team become something really great!”

RT if you made @Apple_Rays1 ??

— Stingray Allstars (@LetsGoRays) May 16, 2018

Win or lose, we predict it's going to be a great season for the Apple Rays. Ascuitto and the rest of the Stingray Allstars coaching staff hope this young team grows together to really enjoy the ride this season will bring.

"The goal for the team this season is to put out the best routine possible and enjoy the journey along the way! Sometimes we get so caught up in the wins and losses and forget why we fell in love with this sport in the first place."

"Enjoying the spotlight of being on stage, the highs and lows through the season, the bonds that we develop with teammates and the feeling of putting your heart and soul into something that you can share with teammates," Ascuitto said.

The cheerleading community is overjoyed for Stingray Apple's return to the mat and that same support is sure to stay with the team throughout their season.

"The social media support has really started things off on the right foot! It’s great to see that the cheer community believes in this team before even seeing them!"

Welcome back Apple Rays and best of luck this season!