On November 9th, our Sahuaro cheerleadering team kept their spirits up even after waking up at 3am to travel to their competition in Phoenix where they competed against other teams from all over the state. Despite there being 18 cheer teams at the competition, Sahuaro only competed against 5.

What were the Qualifications? Our Sahuaro cheer team had to wear their uniforms of course, their hair had to be a certain way, so they parted their hair in the middle, and their moves had to be sharp. They only had 2 minutes to cheer and dance. When asked how they managed to cheer and dance in under 2 minutes, Junior Amira Jones stated, “We didn’t use all of the 2 minutes, but we managed to use one minute and 13 seconds.” That’s pretty challenging for a cheer team, but they managed it.

No, our Sahuaro cheer team didn’t make it in to the next competition. When asked what’s next for cheer, Junior Kirsten Weisbrod said, “We are preparing for the next cheer season. The next thing is cheering for our boys and girls basketball teams.” Even after the cheer competition, our team has done well.  Blessing Onya, sophomore, stated, “What I like about cheer is how well we are able to put together something and be amazed by the outcome.  At first, things look off, but when you perform it and someone records it, you just kinda see your improvement. It’s like no matter how many mistakes you make, you are learning each time to better you and your group.”

Above also of the disqualifications and not advancing to State, there was just one more dislike at the competition and it was where it was held. It was held at Canyon View High school in a very small gym. When asked why the Sahuaro team did not like where it was held, Junior Amira Jones said, “They did it in the aux gym. The crowd was squished in, and the cheerleaders didn’t have enough room to cheer.” Overall the cheer competition was a great thing to remember. Even if there was not another cheer competition for the cheerleaders, they are prepared for the next season.