This past weekend, the Waukee High School competition cheer team won first place in the 4A division at state! The team put in hard work all season to get to this point. From starting the season without a coach  or a routine, to taking home a first place trophy, this team did what many believed to be impossible.

After hiring two new coaches, who were previously Waukee High School cheerleaders, the team began to grow, giving the girls the opportunity to compete. Then, with roughly half the time compared to other schools, the team practiced tirelessly, often both before and after school. One senior, Kiya Barlow, described the experience, saying “It felt like everything we had gone through and worked for finally payed off. Putting together a routine in two months was extremely overwhelming, but forced us to work as hard as possible.”

The team gave credit to their coaches, Megan and Mara, who took on the role as mentors and encouraged the team and propelled them to victory. Madeline Bart, another senior on the team, says that winning state in her last year of high school competition cheer felt “unreal, and such an amazing end to cheer”.

Congratulations, Warriors!