Three valley cheer and dance teams competed at the Colorado State Spirit Championships last weekend.
A young Bayfield cheer team, competing for the first time in the co-ed division, took fourth place Saturday at the Denver Coliseum. The 15-member team took fourth in the 2A-3A coed division with a score of 69.9.
Bayfield's dance team, the Wolverettes, took fourth in the state 2A pom competition with a score of 61.375. Bennett High School took first, followed by Sheridan and Basalt.
The Ignacio High School cheerleaders took 14th out of 17 teams competing in the 2A cheer category.
BHS cheer scored 67.3 in the preliminary competition, which put them fourth overall and qualified them for the final competition on Saturday.
"They actually did better at finals," Meeca Bailey said of the BHS cheerleaders. Bailey coaches the team with Katie Zufelt. "The were less nervous and knew the worst was over."
Competing with three boys on their team, BHS focused more on their partner stunts, Bailey said.
She was proud of the team and its performance, noting that there is only one senior on this year's squad and only three veterans of previous state competitions. The team took first in Durango in a regional competition in November, and will finish their year next spring at cheer competitions in New Mexico.
This year's captain, Blayke Jenkins, said she was proud to end her senior year on a high note. This is the first time BHS has made the cheer finals in six years, she said. She credited this year's success with having two new coaches and the boys on the team.
"We're trying more difficult stunts," she said. "We can get a little more daring."
Jenkins said she likes cheerleading because it's competitive, but it's also a team sport. She can't do her job without her team behind her, she explained.
The Wolverines came in behind champions Bishop Machebeuf, then Valley, and third-place Pagosa Springs.
Izzy Perez, a sophomore cheerleader at Ignacio, said all of the practice paid off as the Bobcat team made its first trip to state in three years.
"Our coach really pushed us to get to that point," she said.
Perez said state competition is intense, but she and her teammates received some good advice from other coaches and cheerleaders, and she's looking forward to returning next year.
"They did a really good job and were proud of their performance," said Jessica Musch, the cheer coach for IHS. The team wants to return next year and will work on their cheer segments and crowd involvement, Musch said.
"Our team worked really hard," she said. "It takes a lot of dedication. Everyone's involved. There are no benchwarmers!"
