The state competition in Denver is less than a month away, and the Falcon cheerleading squad is working harder than ever to pull together and put on the show of a lifetime. Practices have picked up; the squad has rigorous three-hour practices Monday through Saturday. The girls put up stunts for a good part of the practice and then run through the entire routine countless times.”I’m dog tired after practice is over, but it’s well worth it. I know that all this practice will eventually pay off at state,” said senior Heather Hockenberry. The state competition is Dec. 2 at the Denver Coliseum, and the squad will be competing in the 4A girls division against 44 other teams.The state squad is coached by English teacher and varsity coach Jessica Frie, JV coach Jessica Renaud and counselor Amber Stecklein. The coaches have been pushing towards perfection and testing the limits of every girl on the squad. The girls have really improved. The team has had five novice tumblers learn how to do difficult tumbling passes in a matter of months, which is a great addition to the three girls who already can tumble. The stunts are not simple either.”We have a lot of really hard stunts,” said senior Dana Smith. “This has been a really good year! We have grown a lot. I can’t give out our stunt secrets just yet. If people want to see us they can come to the competition.”After being so close last year and winning eighth place, the girls are ready to reach for the gold this December. If they get in the top three, they will win a slot for the national competition in Orlando, Fla.Unfortunately, there have been a few injuries, including two knee injuries and one rib injury. Mostly it has just been cuts and bruises. “We are totally dependent on one another. If one girl is out, the stunts can’t go up and that can affect a lot of girls,” said senior Brittney Best.As for winter season cheerleading, tryout dates are during the beginning of December. Varsity, JV and C team will be cheering at all home wrestling matches and basketball games.The cheerleaders are doing amazing, and they are expected to turn heads and make it to the top at the state competition.
