Sandpoint High School’s cheer team competed at the state competition this past weekend and their hard work really paid off! They placed 5th place in All-Girl Show and Sideline which is a huge accomplishment for a team as small as Sandpoint’s. Competing at state can be very intimidating when compared to the teams who are much larger in size, especially from the south. Overall, these girls are happy with their performance and shared with me their experience at this year’s state competition.
Our cheer team works non-stop for 9 months straight. With open mats starting in June and competing at state in February, they work on perfecting these routines for this very moment. For some, moments like these can be very bittersweet, like for Senior Captain, Shaina Crabb. She says, “It was definitely very emotional for me… knowing that going out there was the last time I was ever going to perform was a very hard thought. Also knowing that all the work and sweat and tears I had put into my sport was all for this moment was an amazing and terrifying experience.”
Sometimes, not everything goes as planned. This team had to overcome a last-minute obstacle moments before they stepped on the mat. As the team was warming up, their time was cut short due to an error in scheduling. The girls had to straight to the floor with a shorter time to warm up causing a lot of nerves. Besides having a few bobbles, they still managed to do a fantastic job. Crabb says, “I am very proud of our performance. I feel like we could have done better which is always a hard pill to swallow, but knowing that we got fifth for our show routine and we were only .5 points away from fourth was such an amazing feeling to have!”
Going to state can bring teams closer together and create so many memories. For Shaina, hers was after performing their first routine, show, and standing on the mat while everyone hugged each other. “I feel like that was definitely the moment our team really came together,” Crabb shares.
Overall, the SHS cheer team really proved themselves this year. They overcame so many obstacles and managed to push through while placing in the top 5 for pom and show!
