The latest competition season for LHS cheerleaders started Saturday, Jan. 27, in Moscow, Idaho.
After competing at the national level last season, the team decided not to attempt to qualify for Nationals this year. They continued participating in local competitions, earning a combination of first- and second-place awards.
Teams performed two-and-a-half-minute routines with music that included stunts, jumps and tumbling. They were judged by a panel of cheerleading experts on difficulty and execution. Teams also had the option to perform a pom dance, sideline cheer and a stunting routine.
In Moscow, LHS performed only a main routine and took second place against Post Falls.
At the Feb. 10 Orofino competition Lewiston performed a sideline cheer first place, main routine second place, pom dance first and a stunt routine first.
First walking onto the mats Karson Bottens, a sophomore at LHS, said “she felt stressed and anxious”.
“If you don’t give 110 percent, you aren’t trying your hardest,” she said.
Bottens has been a cheerleader since the seventh grade. She said her motivation has been her admiration for other cheerleaders.
Fellow sophomore, Ashlee Tipton, started cheer in the ninth grade and has strong feelings for the LHS team.
“I have a feeling next competition we will win,” Tipton said after the Orofino competition. “It’s the drive we have to go to state.”
Since LHS has a very competitive cheer team, “competitions can feel stressful”, cheerleaders said.
“Before competition I feel very nervous because of the pressure LHS has. Everyone wants to beat Lewiston,” said senior, Shaylee Bachman.
The team’s next competition was at the district level in Lakeland, Washington, Feb. 24. They competed in every event, landing in second place in tunt, econd place in their main routine, and first place in sideline. The team needed to take at least second place to qualify for state.
State-level cheer competitions will take place March 17 in Nampa, Idaho.