Highland High School cheerleaders topped off an undefeated season by winning the 5-A state cheer championship in Nampa this past weekend.
By Kendra Evensen, kevensen@journalnet.com
Highland High School cheerleaders may spend a lot of time cheering for their fellow athletes’ success, but this time around, they’re the ones who deserve some applause.
The Highland cheerleaders were named the 5-A cheer champions during the Idaho High School Dance and Cheer State Championships in Nampa over the weekend. It’s a feat they’ve managed 10 times in the last 12 years.
“They did an amazing job. This is one of the strongest teams I’ve had,” said Jessica Gallup, head coach of the team. “They’re just really hard workers, so it paid off.”
The girls not only took the state championship over the weekend, but they also made it through the year undefeated. McKenzie King, co-captain of the team, said they haven’t won all of their competitions since she was a freshman in high school, so it was exciting to reach that milestone again during her senior year.
King said they made it a point this year to teach the younger girls on the team that hard work and dedication pays off. And it was fun when it did — over and over again throughout the year.
“It was really rewarding because we worked so hard to get there,” King said.
She says the team is driven to get the audience’s and judges’ attention, which she thinks helps to set them apart. But they also have dedicated coaches.
Gallup works many hours to ensure the cheerleaders have top routines, and she cares for them as if they were her own kids, King said.
“If anything sets us apart as a team, it’s Jess,” King said.
But Gallup attributes the girls’ dedication and ambition, whether they’re working in the classroom or competing in their sport, for their success.
“They usually achieve the goals that they set. They’re such hard workers and they’re determined,” Gallup said.
She says cheerleading is a year-round sport that demands a lot from those who participate.
“They cheer for everybody else (and they have to) compete at the same time,” Gallup said, adding that they have to find time to practice in between games and develop a variety of skills, which include not only dancing and cheering, but also performing stunts. “They have to be well-rounded in all of those areas in order for it to work.”
The Highland cheerleaders successfully achieved that balance this year, and Gallup is proud of everything they were able to accomplish.
“I couldn’t be happier,” she said. “It makes it worth it.”
Several other Eastern Idaho teams also found success during the state championships this year.
Idaho Falls and Sugar-Salem were named state cheer champions in their divisions, while Preston, Soda Springs and Bonneville took second, according to idhsaa.org. Madison, American Falls and Firth came in third.
During the state dance portion of the competition on Saturday, Shelley won its division championship, while American Falls and Preston came in third, according to idhsaa.org.
