The Owatonna High School Winter Cheer Team was hard at work during the whole month of January and into February, preparing for their annual Snow Week performance. They performed their routine at the Snow Week Pep Fest on Monday, Feb. 9, and most recently, at the halftime of the Varsity Boys Basketball game on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
This routine is a time for all four squads to come together as one during the winter season. Head Cheer Coach Jenna Compton looked forward to the Snow Week performance because everyone on all different skill sets can learn from one another. She said, “Everybody coming together and working on all different levels” is her favorite part.
In order to perform at their highest potential, a typical routine includes a dance, stunts, tumbling, jumps, a chant and a final pyramid. The final pyramid is able to allow everyone from each squad to showcase a stunt sequence that is not able to be done with only one squad. Varsity Boys Basketball Cheer Captain, senior Kaylee Smith said, “I really like the ending pyramid, because it ties everything together and looks really good.”
This year, they performed to the song “Where Have You Been” by Rihanna. Members of the team got to pick the song and the song usually matches the style of music that they like to listen to daily or even before a game. Smith mentioned she likes to listen to any song by Rihanna before a game. She said, “She is uplifting and her songs get me in the mood to cheer.”
Although much preparation is needed, the exciting part is when the whole routine comes together in the end for the crowd to see. Varsity Girls Basketball Cheer Captain, senior Casey Salinas said, “I like performing our routine at the games because a lot of people come and your parents get to see it.”
When the cheer team took the court at Tuesday night’s game against Mankato West, they were ready to give it their all. They moved through their dance with big smiles and high energy. The crowd cheered as they were lifted into the air during stunts and teammates tumbled across the floor. But the moment everyone was waiting for was the final pyramid. All four squads came together to build a huge pyramid that towered over the court. The crowd loved it, clapping and cheering loudly as the team held their pose.
When the music stopped, cheerleaders waved to the fans and ran off the court with smiles on their faces. With the Varsity Boys Basketball Team going on to win 76-73, the OHS Cheer Team made sure they left a stunning impression of their own during their halftime performance.
