Grain Valley cheerleaders are number one

Sami Chambers felt good after the Grain Valley High School Cheerleading Squad competed at the 2009 Missouri Cheerleading Coaches Association’s state competition.

“It was absolutely amazing,” she said of the first-place finish. “I felt good, but you just never know with the judging. Anything can happen. But we worked hard as a team and really just had fun with it. That is what I am most proud of.”

Grain Valley was crowned Class 4A state champion Saturday at the University of Missouri-Columbia. It is the first state title for the Eagles since the 2004 squad won the state championship.

Grain Valley was just one of several schools bringing home trophies.

Lee’s Summit North placed second out of 24 teams in the 5A Small Division; Blue Springs High School was third out of 11 teams in the small coed division; Blue Springs South, fourth out of 21 teams in the 5A Large Division and Lee’s Summit High School, fourth in the 5A Small Division. William Chrisman, Fort Osage and Lee’s Summit West also competed, but did not place.

In order to qualify for state, teams must either place in the top five or receive at-large bids at the regional competition, which was in August at Lee’s Summit North. Routines for both regionals and state must be at least two minutes long and no more than three minutes.

Squads are judged on cheering skills such as tumbling, stunts and jumps; spirit and energy; creativity; entertainment value; choreography; execution/synchronization and crowd leadership. The judging panel consists of five judges in addition to four penalty judges and one difficulty judge, all knowledgeable in cheerleading. Penalties are assessed from everything to missing a stunt, stepping out of bounds to going over the allotted time.

Blue Springs South’s fourth-place finish held even more significance for the school because it is the first time in school history that a Cheerleading squad has placed at the state competition.

“I am so very proud of our girls. It feels amazing to see the fruits of their labor and to see them attain their goal,” said Corinne Arens, Blue Springs South coach. “The girls wanted to win this for their school. I think the determination to win this for the legacy of Blue Springs South was a driving force behind them this year.”

Stephanie Peterman, coach of the Blue Springs High School coed team, said the squad worked hard this year leading up to the state competition.

Sami Chambers felt good after the Grain Valley High School Cheerleading Squad competed at the 2009 Missouri Cheerleading Coaches Association’s state competition.

“It was absolutely amazing,” she said of the first-place finish. “I felt good, but you just never know with the judging. Anything can happen. But we worked hard as a team and really just had fun with it. That is what I am most proud of.”

Grain Valley was crowned Class 4A state champion Saturday at the University of Missouri-Columbia. It is the first state title for the Eagles since the 2004 squad won the state championship.

Grain Valley was just one of several schools bringing home trophies.

Lee’s Summit North placed second out of 24 teams in the 5A Small Division; Blue Springs High School was third out of 11 teams in the small coed division; Blue Springs South, fourth out of 21 teams in the 5A Large Division and Lee’s Summit High School, fourth in the 5A Small Division. William Chrisman, Fort Osage and Lee’s Summit West also competed, but did not place.

In order to qualify for state, teams must either place in the top five or receive at-large bids at the regional competition, which was in August at Lee’s Summit North. Routines for both regionals and state must be at least two minutes long and no more than three minutes.

Squads are judged on cheering skills such as tumbling, stunts and jumps; spirit and energy; creativity; entertainment value; choreography; execution/synchronization and crowd leadership. The judging panel consists of five judges in addition to four penalty judges and one difficulty judge, all knowledgeable in cheerleading. Penalties are assessed from everything to missing a stunt, stepping out of bounds to going over the allotted time.

Blue Springs South’s fourth-place finish held even more significance for the school because it is the first time in school history that a Cheerleading squad has placed at the state competition.

“I am so very proud of our girls. It feels amazing to see the fruits of their labor and to see them attain their goal,” said Corinne Arens, Blue Springs South coach. “The girls wanted to win this for their school. I think the determination to win this for the legacy of Blue Springs South was a driving force behind them this year.”

Stephanie Peterman, coach of the Blue Springs High School coed team, said the squad worked hard this year leading up to the state competition.

“The key to success for these guys is their desire to uphold the tradition of excellence that has been set by those that came before them,” she said. “They are determined to maintain the high standards.”

Kristen Aston, coach for Grain Valley, said she was like a proud mother watching the Grain Valley team pull together and do what needed to be done to finish first.

“It was teamwork and attitude,” she said. “I think the best part, though, was seeing their reaction. They did what they needed to do this season to be successful, and I am so proud of all of them.”