Competition cheer a part of the cheer program which is a branch of the Pep Club at East designed to prove that cheerleading is more than just chant yelling and pom pom shaking. It shows off the hard stunts and jumping that go into cheerleading. The comp squad consists of the whole varsity team plus three girls from the JV team and three from the freshman team as well.
The competition squad attends two competitions per season and makes occasional cameos at assemblies and basketball games. At these performances, the squad entertains the crowd with a two minute and 30 second cheer routine consisting of dance moves, stunts and tumbling.
Their season starts with a competition camp in Aug. 3-5 where they spend eight hours a day learning the outline of the routine. Then during the school year, they sharpen their routine everyday in seventh hour cheer class so that it is precise as possible.
“If it was just choreography it would take a week to two weeks to perfect it,” head cheer coach Mallory Gaunce said. “But because it incorporates all the heavy stunting, it takes two months.”
Even with an hour in the school day, the team still needed after school practices.
“I had to be there at every practice which was hard considering that i had other things.” said senior and captain Audrey Dickens “ Sometimes your body is over it and but you have to keep going and just overall motivation”.
Next year there is a possibility that the comp squad may invite other girls that aren’t on the cheer squads who are just looking to tumble.
Cheer tryouts will be more competitive this year, with fewer varsity spots up for grabs. Sophomores will be allowed on varsity which will make it harder on upperclassman. For the 2016-2017 school year, there will be 22 girls on varsity. Next season there will be more spots on comp squad for freshman and JV girls there’s a potential for 10-12.