By Karly Monson, Isabele Kesterson, and Paige Kramer

The Atlantic High School cheerleaders will be returning to the Iowa State Cheerleading Competition held on November 2 in Des Moines Iowa after taking two years off.  After receiving 9th place in 2011 and getting a new coach in 2012, the cheerleaders took a year off to work on team dynamics. This year the team is heading back to the Iowa State Cheerleading Competition.

The competition team will be competing a two and a half minute routine at the Iowa State fairgrounds on November 2 in Des Moines, Iowa.  The routine includes a cheer, tumbling, stunt sequence, jumps, a pyramid, and a dance.  Not only will the Atlantic competition squad be attending, but squads from all around Iowa will be competing throughout the day.  Atlantic will be competing in the 3A division. Titles are awarded according to division and not overall state.

It is Coach Taylor Hasting’s first year bringing a competitive squad to a competition and she is looking forward to the competitive cheer season.  “The girls have worked hard all summer introducing new cheerleaders to the motions, jumps, and stunt necessary to perform our routine,” says Hastings.  “They have made some great progress and I can’t wait to see it all come together this fall!”

Cheerleaders interested in joining the competitive team attended tryouts in last April.  The team consists of 14 members from grades 9-12.  Towards the end of July, the cheerleaders attended a 13-hour cheer camp to learn the choreography for the routine.  They also have two practices a week for competition team only.

If students are interested to come and support the cheerleaders at the state competition to bring more spirit, it is at the Iowa State fairgrounds on November 2nd.  Competition starts in the morning and lasts all day.  For more information, talk to Coach Hastings, the new assistant coach Coach Hansen, or a cheerleader.