Crimson Cliffs, Snow Canyon cheerleading teams win state championships

Crimson Cliffs and Snow Canyon cheer teams after taking state in their respective divisions, Orem, Utah, Jan. 25, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Becky Erickson, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — The Crimson Cliffs and Snow Canyon high school cheerleading teams each took state in their respective classifications on Wednesday.

Snow Canyon cheerleaders perform during state competition, Orem, Utah, Jan. 25, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Elsha Gubler, St. George News

Competing at the Utah High School Activities Association’s competitive cheer state championships staged throughout the day at Utah Valley University in Orem, Crimson Cliffs took home the first-place trophy in the 5A/4A coed division, while Snow Canyon captured the state title in the 4A/3A all-girl division.

Both teams also placed first in two of the four events, each winning first-place plaques for their “game time” and “show cheer” performances.

Snow Canyon head coach Elsha Gubler said that even though the Region 10 rivals competed in separate divisions, they were able to watch each other perform throughout the day, along with numerous other teams in the various classifications.

“There was a sense of camaraderie and support felt throughout the day as all the cheer squads cheered for each other and wished each other good luck,” Gubler told St. George News, noting that after the winners were announced by the judges, the Snow Canyon and Crimson Cliffs cheer squads got together for a celebratory group photo with their trophies.

“Their sportsmanship was as impressive as their athleticism,” she said.

Crimson Cliffs cheer team after taking state in the 5A/4A coed division, Orem, Utah, Jan. 25, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Becky Erickson, St. George News

“These girls brought the fire to the mat in every category,” Gubler added. “They have worked so hard this year to improve their skills, overcome injuries and perfect their routines. It’s so fun to watch them out on the mat. They are truly entertainers and always bring so much energy to the floor.”

Crimson Cliffs head coach Becky Erickson called it a “big day for Southern Utah.”

“One of the best parts of this is that we made history in the first year that cheer became a (UHSAA-sanctioned) sport,” Erickson said. “So that was a super big deal.”

“I’ve been waiting for this for 20 years as a coach,” she said.  “I’m just proud of how far the cheer sport has come.”

Erickson said she was also proud of Snow Canyon, as well as Desert Hills and the other Southern Utah teams that competed at state.

The Desert Hills Thunder were the overall runners-up in the 4A/3A all-girl division, taking second in both the “game time” and “show cheer” event categories. Meanwhile, Dixie High’s all-girl team took fourth in “game time,” while Hurricane’s co-ed squad placed fifth in “game time.”

Erickson said although her athletes were nervous throughout the day, they didn’t seem to show it as they turned in “near-perfect” performances in each of their routines.

“They did phenomenal,” she said of the Crimson Cliffs squad.

One of the biggest challenges, she said, has been for coaches, athletes and fans to familiarize themselves with the brand-new sport’s myriad rules and procedures.

“For example, in one of the categories, a sideline dance, the boundaries weren’t made clear,” she said. “We made our routine to go through the whole basketball boundary, but they had tables sitting on the free throw lines where we danced as part of our formation.”

They couldn’t move the tables because they were taped down, so they had to adjust with little time to do so. 

“I had to change my formation in the hallway and hope that they’d figure it out when they got out there on the floor in front of the judges,” she said. “So that was crazy.”

Erickson said she’s also proud of the fact that her athletes maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average while practicing or performing a minimum of 20 hours per week.

“This is a year-round sport,” she added. “We don’t get an offseason.”

Celebratory parades are being planned for at both schools, with the Crimson Cliffs procession scheduled to start shortly after 3 p.m. Thursday at Staheli Farm and make its way to the school’s athletic building.

Snow Canyon’s victory celebration is scheduled to take place on Friday along Warrior Way, starting at the Sand Hollow Aquatics Center and ending at the high school at noon.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

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