Burlington cheer team fares well in state competition

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By Tammy Keele

The Burlington High School cheer team faced tough competition at the annual State Spirit Group Championship in Casper on Thursday, Jan. 28.

The all-girl squad was one of six teams competing in the 2A Game Day Division. Final scores were extremely close with only two points separating first from third.  Cokeville clinched the first-place position with a score of 92.55. Lovell was a close second scoring 91.40 and Burlington trailing less than a point behind and taking a respectable third with a tally of 90.55.

 The Burlington cheer team also competed for the second time in the 3A Hip Hop Dance Division.  Their hard work paid off with another second-place title to add to their accolades. Star Valley won first place, Worland third and Lovell fourth.

Coach Katelynn Stanworth said despite a small hotel flooding scare the night before competition and a mishap with the bus key, her team arrived at state competition well rested and prepared to compete. 

“It was a relief with all of the COVID craziness to finish our season and to finish six weeks early” she said. 

As far as winning a second and third place title, the coach was incredibly pleased with the hard work her team put into the season. Stanworth said she was also glad that despite COVID-19, spectators were allowed  and parents were able to come and show their support. 

In preparation for State 2022 the cheer team will not only be working on nailing sharper, energy filled routines but will also look forward to showcasing their stunting ability by entering the Stunting Division in addition to Game Day and Hip Hop Dance.  

Coach Stanworth said it was encouraging to see a small school, such as first-place winner Cokeville, have participation numbers close to the maximum of 22. She said he hopes to see the Burlington cheer program continue to grow. Stanworth went on to say it would be terrific if other local area schools had cheer programs as well. The coach said she would be happy to talk to or offer support to schools considering implementing a cheer team of their own.