SASKATOON - The Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs cheerleader team won the silver medal at the provincial championship Saturday at TCU Place in Saskatoon.
ECS finished second in the senior high intermediate Level 2 division with a score of 70, which left them just behind Thom Collegiate in Regina, who finished at 71.8. Three other schools were in the same division as ECS.
“Our stunts were excellent,” said head coach Bonnie Chepil-Kvamme. “We did incredibly well with our stunts. Everything was pretty solid. Nothing came down. We didn’t have any bobbles.”
The dance was well-executed, and she said ECS had no violations or deductions in their routine.
The competition at provincials was stiff, which Chepil-Kvamme found surprising since schools have had limited opportunities to compete in the past two years.
The Elecs cheer team was young this year. While they had six Grade 12s, three of them had not competed before. Most team members had not entered a competition until the Best of the West in Moose Jaw in February.
“My goal for the team was to just have a nice, solid, clean routine with no stunts coming down, and they surpassed my expectations,” said Chepil-Kvamme.
Those six Grade 12 athletes will be tough to replace, she said.
The students dedicated a lot of time over the past few months to be ready for provincials.
“We’ve had 7 a.m. practices for two weeks straight … including our three-hour Sunday practices,” said Chepil-Kvamme. “It’s been months and months and months, literally, of hard work in that gym. A routine isn’t built overnight, that’s for sure. It does take a lot.”
The experience of being at Best of the West and provincials should help them be ready for next season.
“They realize, based on the great feedback that the judges always give us, exactly what they need to do … and the confidence that they have to demonstrate on the mat. It’s more than just getting those stunts up.”
Crowd appeal and inclusion are also very important.
Chepil-Kvamme praised volunteer community coach Ashley Tedford and coach in training Macie Hall for their contributions to the club this year.
“I had a very dedicated team, with very few missed practices. They really committed themselves to it, and I think that’s why we did so well. The dynamic between the athletes within that whole group was really, really positive, and they had great respect for each other and with their coaches, and were willing to commit hours upon hours upon hours of work,” said Chepil-Kvamme.
