The 2013 edition of EPC Cheerfest lived up to its reputation as a raucous, crowd-pleasing event.
Once again, cheer teams from across Alberta arrived at the Athabasca Regional Multiplex on Saturday, ready to hit the floor and show the moves theyíve spent the entire school year perfecting. In all, 20 teams and their supporters poured into the Rotary Fieldhouse at the Multiplex, creating an electric atmosphere and another memorable event.
Five local teams took part in the event, all of them performing as a group for the first time, and all of them wowed the crowd (and their coaches) with their performances.
Event organizer and cheer coach Barb Lachance was impressed with all of the local teams, including the two she coaches.
ìIím really proud of (the EPC senior team),î she said. ìThey missed a couple stunts but that goes along with getting out there for the first time. But they scored really high, they were clean and sharp and loud and on time; all of those little things that add up points.î
The EPC senior team won their division, as did her other team, the Landing Trail Intermediate School Grades 5/6 team.
ìThey did very well. They really worked hard,î she said, noting that they had to make some changes on the fly due to an absence, and they brought the routine together remarkably well.
The junior high team also did well, though Lachance was busy with organizing duties and missed their performance.
ìI think they did good from all the cheering.î
The LTIS Grade 4 team finished second, and their coach Robyn Bahry was proud of their effort.
ìTheir performance was the best that theyíve done all year,î she said. ìAnd they all smiled.î
The Whispering Hills Primary School team always threatens to steal the show with its collection of youthful cheerleaders, and this year was no different; they also won their division.
ìOn Friday night at rehearsal it was a little tense, but on Saturday it was like theyíd done it fifty times before,î said coach Wanda Semashkewich.
ìIím extremely proud of them.î
All in all, the event was another example of how popular cheerleading has become in Alberta.
ìIt was just a phenomenal group of cheerleaders,î said Lachance.
All of the teams intend to take what the event judges told them and use it to make their routines even better for their next big event, the Total Spirit Championships at West Edmonton Mall, March 8-10.
