There is no room for nerves at a state cheerleading competition, just flawless execution and a lot of school spirit.
Even so, Tory Brown, a freshman from Cheyenne Wells High School in eastern Colorado, said she had to fight butterflies in her stomach before her eight-member team took center stage.
“The hardest part is having enough stamina to finish the routine,” she said. “But we did awesome.”
High school cheerleading and dance teams from across the state brought their best choreography and their biggest smiles to the Denver Coliseum on Friday and Saturday for the state championships.
Cheyenne Wells, a 1A school with about 75 students, cheered its way to a state championship in the larger 2A cheerleading division Saturday. The state chose not to sponsor a 1A competition for the tiniest schools, forcing Cheyenne Wells to beat schools with as many as 235 students.
Coach Julie Roth said the girls had been practicing the professionally choreographed routine since May, but the team didn’t have much time to celebrate the win — most of the girls are also on the basketball team and had a home game to play Saturday night.Online. Find final results for all divisions on the CHSAA’s website under the “spirit” category.
Cassie Hewlings: 303-954-1638 or chewlings@denverpost.com
