Gilpin Colorado State Spirit Championships
DAVE GIBSON
DENVER – To the casual observer, since the girls make it look easy, it might seem that cheerleaders wave their pompoms, do a few leg kicks, and lead fans in cheers. Anyone who has ever...
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A perfectly executed "prep" stunt
First year cheerleader Jazz Hickman with an Eagle's eye view.
Seniors
It was the final appearance at State for Jazz Hickman (top) and Remi Rich (bottom).
Give me a "G-I-L-P-I-N!"
Liz Madrigal-Garcia keeps fans engaged.
Give me an "E-A-G-L-E-S!"
Leo Molochnick draws onlookers in with her smile.
Zoey Paul
The team spent months getting their routine just right.
DENVER – To the casual observer, since the girls make it look easy, it might seem that cheerleaders wave their pompoms, do a few leg kicks, and lead fans in cheers. Anyone who has ever attended a Colorado Spirit competition knows that there is much more to it than that. A vital element at games that motivates players, gets fans involved and promotes team spirit, cheerleading is as much of a sport as any other offered in high school.
Following months of preparation, the Gilpin Cheer Team arrived at the Denver Coliseum on Thursday, December 12, to participate in the Colorado Spirit State Championships. The Eagles competed under the Game Day classification against other 2A and 3A squads.
Their performance was divided into four different categories that were assigned up to 25 points each: Band Chant, Situational Sideline, Crowd Leading Cheer, and Fight Song. The five girls would have exactly three minutes to complete their routine.
Goodness, gracious! The Jerry Lee Lewis rock ‘n’ roll classic “Great Balls of Fire” was the team’s selection in Band Chant. Composed by the Oklahoma Marching Band, it was energetic and got the audience interested as the girls chanted “Black and gold are the colors of our team!” The 30-second cheer is meant to coincide with a timeout.
In Situation Sideline, a cue was given by a judge for the girls to perform either an offensive or defensive cheer. As in all the disciplines, points were awarded or deducted for crowd skills, motion technique, spacing, volume and enunciation, execution, and unity.
The Crowd Leading cheer allowed the team to use megaphones and signs. The goal was to get the crowd to cheer with them. The Eagles spread out on the mat evenly to get everyone’s attention. And above all, they had fun doing it.
The Fight Song portion of the program may have been the girls’ sharpest of the afternoon. Full of vim and enthusiasm, the student-athletes exhibited precise positioning and movements.
Gilpin’s Cheer Team will compete once more this season at the Sweetheart Blast held in Greeley on February 8, when all nine of its members will appear at the same time.
