Cheerleaders from Heritage High School won a first-place award and several other local squads placed in last weekend’s statewide competition.
More than 50 high school squads traveled to Everett on Saturday to compete in the 2010 Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Salute to Spirit and State Cheerleading Championships.
Heritage High School won first place in the large co-ed category. It’s the school’s fifth win, combining both large and small co-ed categories, and its second consecutive win in the large co-ed category.
The 22-member team has grown over the past few years because of the team’s success. More boys are interested in competing with the squad, said Head Coach David Pilcher.
“I think guys were always interested in cheerleading,” Pilcher said. “The problem was having to break down the barriers in what is considered a female-dominated sport.”
The team now has six boys, many of whom join cheerleading to keep busy between fall and spring sports, said Pilch.
Pilcher said the team won’t be going to nationals, however.
“We’ve had some injuries and issues with kids not being focused on the competition,” he said. “We made a decision early on that the season would end after state for those reasons.”
Heritage plans to finish cheering at the end of the basketball season and regroup in May to train for next season.
Several other local schools fared well in Everett:
• Union came in third in the small varsity category; Skyview placed sixth and King’s Way Christian was eighth.
• Battle Ground finished sixth in the small co-ed category.
• Evergreen placed fifth in non-tumbling; Hudson’s Bay came in eighth.
