Spirit, stunts and success

By: Olivia Morris, Contributing Writer

​Months of late night practices, countless repetitions and persistent teamwork all came down to one moment​

 On Feb. 22 and 23, Centralia High School (CHS) and Chester Boren Middle School’s (CBMS) cheer teams headed down to Springfield, Missouri for their Game Day and Stunt Competition. The teams brought all of the spirit and high energy as they faced some of the toughest competition in the state. 

For the CHS varsity cheer team, it was their first time competing in Game Day Competition. They had been preparing since Dec. 17, fine-tuning their choreography and perfecting their spirit and motions. To make this small town school seem mighty, five JV cheerleaders were brought up to join the varsity squad for the competition. Their routine consisted of three separate categories. In three minutes, the team had to perform their school’s fight song, a high spirited cheer and a band chant. All of their hard work and dedication paid off, as they secured fifth place finish overall. 

In addition to gameday competition, that Saturday, four Centralia stunt groups also competed in the stunt group portion of the event. The CBMS stunt group placed 8. The five CBMS cheerleaders who performed were, Kate Barnes, Addison Diekman, Zoey Good, Avery Johnston and Addie Hammond. Kylie Brooks, Brooke Day, Jade Harper, Aniya Havens and Rachel Hawkins represented CHS’s JV cheer team. The JV stunt group earned the impressive title of third place. Two CHS varsity stunt groups competed as well. Varsity stunt group A included Josie Hicks, Natalie Kropf, Addison Lewis, Haley Ludwig and Aaliyah Walker. These girls placed 20 and Varsity Stunt group B placed 22. Stunt group B was made up of five more varsity cheerleaders, Gracie Banta, Sydney Griggs, Kayte Haas, Morgan Long and Gabby Tucker.

Despite facing fierce competition, CHS and CBMS showcased their dedication, teamwork and panther pride on the mat. With this wonderful experience under their belts, the teams look forward to continuing their success in future competitions.