Cheerers win 3rd
division title
The Haines cheer team won its third division championship
in as many years at last week’s statewide cheerleading competition in Anchorage,
topping teams from Valdez and Nome in the small-squad, coed category.
The team’s 10 members were honored at an all-school
assembly Monday where they received a key to the borough from mayor Jan Hill, followed by
a ride around town atop a fire truck during an impromptu parade.
Mayor Hill, who once cheered for Haines High School as a
member of the Bear-ettes cheer team, said it was “high time” the community
honored the squad for its hard work and continuous achievement.
“I’m constantly impressed by the young people
in this community. I’m very proud. I tell everyone I know around the state that I
came from Haines High School,” she said.
A squad from Dimond High School was named grand champion
at state, and Haines’ overall rating among 30 teams at the competition won’t be
known until next week. The team was the only one from Southeast to win a division.
“We’re kind of making our way against all the
schools in the state. Of the 30 teams that were there, we’re sure hoping we’re
in the top 10,” said Teri Podsiki, cheer coach since 1999.
Last year, an all-girls team from Haines won the
medium-squad, all-girls division, topping six other schools and placing fourth overall in
the state. In 2007, Haines won among large, co-ed squads.
The state meet marked a rebound for the squad, which
finished behind Mount Edgecumbe and Petersburg at regional competition three weeks ago
after a top finish at the Top of the World competition in February.
Podsiki said her squad used time between the two previous
competitions to concentrate on judges’ critiques and improve. Even a floor judge
animated by an injury suffered by a competitor just before Haines went on didn’t
fluster the local girls, she said.
“By the third competition, they were seasoned
competitors. They didn’t seem to be nervous. They were calm, cool and collected.”
Junior Charles Baltzell, who leads the team’s
stunts, said he wasn’t surprised by Haines’ strong finish. “We work hard.
We practice two hours every day. I think we deserved it.”
Baltzell, recruited for the team this year, called the
season a blast. “The humor everyone has is great. We have fun. It’s not like
basketball. We don’t yell at each other. We make it fun, instead of having a drill
sergeant.”
Brian Huntsman, a junior long-distance runner and
swimmer, was a tumbler this year. The son of a gymnast, Huntsman said moves like back
flips are physically challenging, but he also enjoys the team’s camaraderie. “We
like to be around each other. The team’s really put together well.”
Going to big meets is important for seeing different
routines and learning new stunts, Huntsman said.
At the state competition, squads compete against ones of
like size and sex composition, irrespective of school size.
For example, Haines competed last year against Anchorage’s
Service High School in the medium squad, all-girls division, and, in the competition among
small squads, West Anchorage went up against Yakutat.
Podsiki said topping only two other schools this year
didn’t diminish the team’s victory. “Certainly you have to beat out fewer
teams, but you’ve still got to work hard for every point and you can be up against
some excellent squads. We still had to compete hard and do our best.”
The Haines squad loses four members this year, including
seniors Renae Minor and Liz Bauer and exchange students Jenni Porkka, and Kantarin
Leelahuta.
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