The Edwin Parr Composite senior high cheerleaders were on top of their game at the provincial championships last weekend.
Their reward was a third-place finish and bronze medals for everyone.
The competition was held at Harry Ainlay High School in Edmonton.
“In the first round on Friday, they went out and nailed it. They gave the performance of their lives,” said coach Heidi Shopland. “On Saturday they went out and gave an even better performance. Spirits were high and the energy level was crazy.”
On Saturday, they did well in spite of losing one team member to injury, which necessitated some last-minute changes to the routine they had spent weeks practicing. What could have been a cause for collapse, however, instead became a rallying point for the team as they cemented their top-three finish with another remarkable performance for the assembled judges and spectators.
“They went out there and gave it their heart and soul and proved they were in it to fight for it,” said Shopland.
“Even on Saturday, considering all the obstacles they had to go through, they still went out with the frame of mind that they weren’t giving up. Everyone stepped it up a level.”
Those who saw the senior cheerleaders wow the crowd at EPC Cheerfest in early February would have been hard-pressed to recognize last weekend’s performance, however. A lot of it was changed heading into provincials in an effort to keep things fresh and to further impress the judges.
“It was an almost completely different routine. The judges like to see that you’ve made an effort to come back a little stronger and that you’re bringing up the competition level.”
The girls (and one boy) on the team certainly did that, and they have the medals to show for it.
“(Fellow coach) Vanessa Olson and I are extremely proud of those kids. They really pulled together and showed what teamwork means.”
The team can’t rest just yet, though. First they must prepare themselves for the Alberta Cheerleading Association’s Total Spirit Championships at the West Edmonton Mall this coming weekend.
A renowned event that welcomes teams from across Western Canada, the Spirit competition will demand even more from the EPC team.
“It’s going to be very tough. It’s the craziest competition you’ll ever see, it’s so overloaded with people,” said Shopland.
“I’d like to see them go out, have the time of their lives and be proud of their performance and how well they did as a team.”
