For their first year in the competitive co-ed division, Edwin Parr Compositeís senior high cheer team has done very well.
They put the cap on their great season with a third-place finish at provincials in Drayton Valley on the weekend.
ìOur team had two of the best performances they have had all year,î said team coach Barb Lachance.
ìIt was fantastic. Considering this was the first time we had competed in the co-ed division, itís pretty darn big.î
The EPC cheerleaders were up against some established teams at the event, including one that has won the provincial title 18 out of the last 20 years.
So they set their sights on a second or third-place finish, and by hitting all their spots and delivering a passionate performance, they achieved their goal.
ìIt was a great event. The teams there were spectacular.î
In addition to the teams own great result, one member, Patrick Goll, was recognized with a sportsmanship pin.
While the season is over, the senior cheer team has one more competition to prepare for in Vancouver next month, a special trip theyíre taking to compete against some of the countryís best teams.
The weekend prior, the senior team and Athabascaís other cheer teams were in action at the Total Spirit Championships at West Edmonton Mall.
In all, 206 cheer teams packed the mall, five of them from Athabasca.
The Whispering Hills Primary School team finished first in their division.
ìTheyíre too cute,î said Lachance of the young cheerleaders.
Landing Trail Intermediate School sent two teams to the event, with the Grade 4-5 team placing third in junior elementary division two and the Grade 5-6 team placing second in the same division.
EPCís junior high division three team came in third while the seniors came in second in the co-ed division.
ìIím so proud of them. They were competing against the top seeded teams in Alberta, period,î said the coach.
Lachance, who also coaches the older of the LTIS teams, was impressed with all of the teamís efforts.
ìThe LTIS team amazes me every year. They had a really good run. They put their hearts out on the floor and had so much fun.î
The Athabasca teams continue to practice hard every year, and they have to as their competitors are doing the same.
ìThe competition is getting stiffer every year. We are competing against some pretty elaborate (programs).î
Timing is everything in a well-run cheer performance and the local teams had it in spades at West Edmonton Mall.
ìThey did it the best they had done it all year and it showed on the floor. It was a really emotional, exciting, vibrant performance.î
