GREENFIELD — Sixty-two varsity cheerleading teams from around the state will compete in the 35th Indiana Cheer Championship Saturday at Greenfield-Central High School.
Greenfield-Central, Mt. Vernon and New Palestine high schools will enter the competition with hopes of advancing to the 2018 State Finals next month, said Chris Hammer, competition coordinator for the Indiana Association of School Principals.
The association’s Department of Student Programs is the sponsor for the series of cheer competitions, Hammer said. Teams have been divided into five classes, determined by the schools’ enrollment. Each team will perform its routine once in front of judges, he said.
Each cheer squad’s performance is limited to 2 minutes and 30 seconds and is expected to include portions showcasing their skills in vocal cheering, dancing and tumbling, Hammer said. Squads will be individually scored by a panel of 13 judges from throughout Indiana with several years of experience reviewing cheer competitions, he said.
The Indiana Cheer Championship is unique from other cheer competitions, which often feature teams with no experience cheering at football or basketball games, opting instead to focus on competitions alone. Participating cheerleaders from each school’s team in the Indiana Cheer Championships are required to be active participants in cheer for their schools’ sports teams throughout the year, Hammer said.
Since their conference competition, the New Palestine Dragons cheerleaders have improved on perfecting some of the more intricate stunts in their routine, said head cheer coach Katie Nowak.
“This is my first year coaching at New Pal, but I’m excited and I know the girls are ready,” Nowak said. “They’re excited to get their routine out there and get on the road to state.”
Mt. Vernon’s cheerleading squad is also eager for Saturday’s challenge after putting in a full year of training, said Mt. Vernon head coach Jordan Fell. Varsity B division is competitive, but they’re prepared to make it to the top six, she said.
“We’ve had some of the best practices all season this past week,” Fell said. “We’re looking forward to showcasing a great performance for Mt. Vernon.”
This year the Cougars are facing a little bit of adversity, said Laken Rosing, Greenfield-Central’s head cheerleading coach. Last week, Emma Scroggins, one of G-C’s seniors, severely sprained her ankle, and the team is looking for extra encouragement and positivity from their supporters this week, she said. The Cougars have their fingers crossed that if they compete well in the first round, Scroggins will heal in time to perform at finals, Rosing said.
“We want to show how strong we are as a program, and the strength of our girls to overcome adversity and maximize their potential,” she said.
After the competition’s preliminary round, the judges panel will select the top 60 percent of competing teams to move on to the state competition, which will be held Nov. 3 at New Castle High School, Hammer said.
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The doors to the Greenfield-Central High School gymnasium, 810 N. Broadway St., will open at 9:15 a.m. Saturday The competition is slated to begin at 10 a.m.
Tickets can be purchased at the door for $8, including children in first grade and older.
Mt. Vernon will perform at 3 p.m. Greenfield-Central is slated to perform immediately after Mt. Vernon at 3:06 p.m. New Palestine is slated to perform at 3:18 p.m. All three county schools will compete in the Varsity B division.
The awards ceremony for Varsity Coed and D Divisions will be held at 1:30 p.m.
The awards ceremony for the Varsity B, C and A Divisions will be held at 8:15 p.m.
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