DENVER | For the second time in the past three seasons, the Grandview cheers captured a state championship.
The Wolves posted a score of 89.50 points in the finals Friday to win the cheer category handily at the Class 5A state spirit competition at the Denver Coliseum.
Grandview — fourth last season after winning the 5A title in 2010 — trailed ThunderRidge through prelims, but blew away the field in the evening finals. The Wolves topped the eight teams in the finals by a full six points, as the Grizzlies came in a distant second and Douglas County took third. The Grandview team of coaches Marcia Hoerl and Katie Guerrero finished second in Centennial League competition and has also qualified to compete nationally.
“We’re all really excited; it’s fun to have a second state title and see how everybody reacts to it,” said captain Skylar Johnson, one of six or seven holders from the 2010 state championship team. “Everybody wanted this so bad.”
Johnson said the Wolves were spurred on in part because of disappointment in last season’s result, in which they posted a score that would have won the state championship, but were deducted five points when a team member stepped off the mat. This season had produced some “rough” results in the early going, but a strong performance a week before gave Grandview a good feeling. Cleaning up some small mistakes put the Wolves on the right track to win the championship.
“The week before state was a lot of fun; we were just able to fix the little details and we knew we could perform well,” Johnson said. “Watching the coaches while we performed and just seeing how excited they got just makes you want to keep going. They were so excited and jumping up and down.”
Aurora’s other two finalists, Eaglecrest and Rangeview, tied for fifth with a score of 75.50 each. The Raptors were fourth and the Raiders sixth, respectively, through prelims.
Grandview tried to add a poms title as well, but finished second behind Arapahoe (94.00) with a score of 92.67. The Wolves were Aurora’s lone finalist.
In the other dance categories, Cherokee Trail placed third in the co-ed competition, while Smoky Hill collected fourth in jazz.
Overland had its two-year reign as 5A hip-hop champions come to an end, as the Trailblazers were third in the prelims and missed out on the two-team finals competition by one spot. Monarch edged Pomona to become the new hip-hop state champion.
Cheer teams from Gateway, Hinkley, Overland, Regis Jesuit and Smoky Hill also competed; Eaglecrest and Regis Jesuit had pom teams in the mix, Cherokee Trail and Rangeview competed in jazz and Gateway had a hip-hop entry.
Notes: Johnson was selected All-State individually, while she had previously been named to the All-Colorado Spirit Squad by the Colorado Spirit Coaches Association.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
CLASS 5A STATE SPIRIT
Dec. 7 at Denver Coliseum
Cheer Finals: 1. GRANDVIEW 89.50 points; 2. ThunderRidge 83.50; 3. Douglas County 80.67; 4. Rock Canyon 80.00; T5. EAGLECREST 75.50; T5. RANGEVIEW 75.50; 7. Rocky Mountain 72.83; 8. Arapahoe 70.50; Aurora prelims: 2. Grandview 83.67; 4. Eaglecrest 80.83; 6. Rangeview 75.17; 18. Smoky Hill 64.33; 23. Gateway 60.17; 32. Regis Jesuit 56.83; 35. Hinkley 52.83; 37. Overland 48.17
Pom Finals: 1. Arapahoe 94.00 points; 2. GRANDVIEW 92.67; 3. Legacy 91.50; 4. Mountain Vista 90.00; 5. Ralston Valley 89.93; 6. ThunderRidge 89.67; Aurora prelims: 2. Grandview 91.67; 8. Regis Jesuit 88.00; 10. Eaglecrest 86.33
Co-Ed Finals: 1. Dakota Ridge 85.33 points; 2. Ralston Valley 78.17; 3. CHEROKEE TRAIL 76.50; 4. Castle View 73.50; 5. Fountain-Fort Carson 69.50; Aurora prelims: 4. Cherokee Trail 71.83
Hip-Hop Finals: 1. Monarch 92.00 points; 2. Pomona 91.67; Aurora prelims: 3. Overland 87.00; 10. Gateway 76.33
Jazz Finals: 1. Golden 93.00 points; 2. Chaparral 89.67; 3. Cherry Creek 89.33; 4. SMOKY HILL 89.00; Aurora prelims: 3. Smoky Hill 87.67; 5. Cherokee Trail 85.67; 11. Rangeview 81.33
