by Cassandra Wagner on 2016-02-24
This past weekend, Feb. 20, the Grand Terrace High School (GTHS) Cheer Competition team competed at the Sharp competition held at Hemet High School.
“While Sharp follows the same rules as USA/UCA nationals, Sharp is a little more fun and competitive. They have special events like tumbling and individual. They’re supposed to be fun events, but it is still about competing,” said GTHS Cheer and Dance Advisor Gevina Parra.
Sharp is a high energy competition and the world’s largest competition circuit that brings together cheer, dance, drill, hip hop, military, pep flags, Color Guard, and Tall Flags. The competition services youth, pop warner, elementary, junior, senior, high school, and college competitors. Schools from all over participate; the team competed against Beaumont and Jurupa Valley to name a few.
“At cheer competitions you have two minutes and thirty seconds. So they have trained for months—since June on a two minute and thirty second routine to show these judges for the large varsity group they went in with stunting, tumbling, all that good stuff,” said Parra.
GTHS competition team has twenty members and competed on the large novice. The squad placed first in the Large Varsity Cheer division with a score of 93.75%. Members also were division champions and won the Showmanship Award. This is the first time the squad ranked in top three scores in a competition since the school opened.
“The Cheer team has worked very hard and we are proud of what they have been able to accomplish,” said GTHS Athletic Director Tiffany Gordon. “The teams’ participation in such wonderful events showcases our amazing student athletes, and shows off GTHS and what we are all about!”
Members also participated in special events against other schools including stunt down, tumbling, and jumps. The team placed first in stunt down. Additionally members Jessica Ungrad placed first in tumbling, Amanda Battistion second in tumbling, and Patrick McKernan third in jumps.
“This team practices three to four times a week. There is a lot of time and commitment that they have for this,” said Parra. “There is so much time and effort they put in. Their sacrifices and commitment--aside from all this practice they are still students first with projects and homework. They balance it very well. They’re a great group of kids and I really love working with them,” Parra said.
According to Parra the team had participated in the competition as a way to practice for the USA Nationals in March.
“They were working really hard and are Nationals-bound in March. We wanted them to compete in a few competitions to get the jitters out and they did really good,” said Parra. “I thought the best way to prepare for that performance was just to go out there and get that experience under their belt. So that is what we did. When we went they did really good, so I think we are on the road to good things. We still have stuff to work on, we’re not done here,” said Parra.
This was Parra’s first year working with GTHS. She works in addition with three other coaches: Stephanie Alanis and Megan Padilla alumni cheerleaders from Colton High School and Jakob Parra alumni of GTHS competition squad. The team has been built over many years from different people who contributed.
“This is a result of all the time and effort from all the advisors and coaches they had over the past four years,” said Parra.
“You see them when they’re frustrated and want to win. They want to succeed and especially as an alumni--I missed the chance to win. All I want to see is them succeed and have that win. So having had that win before going into Nationals has helped give them the confidence for it,” said GTHS Coach Jakob Parra. “It makes me proud to say that was my squad.”
Gordon added, “I wish them the best of luck as they prepare to compete in USA Nationals in March. I am confident they will represent Grand Terrace well and win!”