Cheer was palpable to all of the senses at the Athabasca Multiplex on Feb. 4 during the annual Cheer Fest competition, attracting 14 competitive cheer teams from around northern Alberta and Edmonton.
Event organizer and senior EPC cheer team coach Barb Lachance said Cheer Fest, now in its 11th year, “runs like a pretty well-oiled machine”.
“The teams that come out, most of them are from smaller school, so it’s a really home town atmosphere,” she said. “This year we have a couple bigger teams coming from Edmonton, that are going to give some pretty spectacular performances.”
For EPC’s junior and senior teams, Cheer Fest was their debut competition of the year. Before the competition began, Lachance said she expects her senior team to hit the mat and do what they do best, their routine.
“It’s their first showing so I do expect a couple of wobbles but nothing major. I expect them to have fun, because that’s what’s important,” she said.
The five Athabasca cheer teams did well, with Whispering Hills Primary School coming in first in their division, the Landing Trail Grade 4 team placing first, in the second elementary division, one spot ahead of the LTIS Grade 5/6 team.
Edwin Parr’s junior team claimed third in their division, and the senior team first.
Kayci Fyfe, EPC Predators team captain, said the team worked really hard to earn their gold.
“We had a few injuries, and I think we deserved it after so much hard work,” she said. “It was good, it was really fun and all the teams got along really well.”
Wanda Semashkewich, head coach of EPC’s junior team, said the team did “very well” considering a last minute shuffle of their routine after a player was injured the night before the competition.
Around 1,000 people packed into the Multiplex field house for the competition, which was judged by individuals from the Alberta Cheerleading Association.
Each team was given a chance to perform their routine, and nominated two athletes to participate in the jump-off competition.
Lachance said in two-and-a-half minutes, teams are judged on how well they’re able to include all of stunting, cheer, gymnastics, individuals stunting, jumps and dance elements into their routines.
One coach from Edmonton’s Victoria School, Nancy Adamson, said there’s a different, positive vibe to school tournaments.
“It’s a great event,” Adamson said. “We like this one because there’s such a good atmosphere, all the kids support each other.”
