Island Spirit Sports All Star Cheerleading’s competitive season is well underway. The Comox-based club has had some impressive performances to date this year at events in Abbotsford and Tacoma, Washington.
The club’s three competitive teams: youth (ages 11 and under), junior (ages 14 and under) and senior (ages 18 and under) attended the Cheerfest competition in Abbotsford. All eyes were on the youth team, with more than half of the members competing for the first time. The team ran a nearly flawless routine to earn third, missing a second place trophy by less than one per cent.
An execution error cost the junior team marks, and left them in third in a close division, while the senior team struggled with a challenging routine, and finished in seventh. “All of our team are very young this season, as many athletes have moved up an age group from last year and are competing at a new level for the first time,” said head coach and director Mia Heitland. “The performances we are seeing on the competition floor bode well for future results for our club.”
The senior team travelled to Tacoma, Washington on Feb. 19-20 to compete the Best of the Northwest Nationals. In what has become an annual event for Island Spirit, the senior team competed against some of the top clubs from B.C. and Washington. After a shaky run Saturday, a much-improved performance Sunday saw the team finish fifth. All three teams will again take to the competition floor March 5, for the Golden Ticket Cheerleading Championships in Vancouver. With only a month to go before the Sea to Sky International Cheerleading Championships in Vancouver, the March 5 event will help teams hone their routines before the biggest event of the season.
Sidebar: Registration is now on for Island Spirit Sports’ spring programs. An eight-week session to introduce athletes aged six to 18 to the exciting sport of All Star Cheerleading starts in April.
As of this spring, all Island Spirit programs will be held at the Comox Rec Centre on Noel Avenue. For more information about the upcoming spring session, call 250-703-1194, e-mail IslandSpiritSports@shaw.ca or visit the website at www.IslandSpiritSports.com.