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Area teams get the last hurrah in state spirit
Air Academy, Manitou Springs win state titles
DENVER – Air Academy took over where Cheyenne Mountain left off, while Manitou Springs found itself in familiar territory.
Air Academy won 4A cheer and Manitou Springs won 3A, as area schools had another strong showing in the spirit state meet at the Denver Coliseum
For Kadets coach Nikita Breslin, it was the best day. Ever.
“My husband just landed here back from Afghanistan and my kid just won state,” said Breslin, who was grabbing quick hugs as she was dashing out of the Coliseum to see her husband. “It’s the best day of my life.
Manitou Springs saved the best for last.
The Mustangs galloped into their second-consecutive championship with another crowd-pleasing performance at the Denver Coliseum.
“I am so proud of these girls and how we overcame some challenges early in the season and competed greatly today,” Manitou Springs coach Alice Stoneback said. “Last year we had an amazing group of seniors and we won every competition we went to. But this year we had some early challenges, but came out strong at the end.”
As Manitou Springs’ All-State honoree Susannah Robbins passed through the tearful teams that came up short, she stepped back and realized how tough the journey has been.
“I really never knew how competitive (cheerleading) was until I got into it,” the sophomore beamed around her shrieking teammates. “You have to be mad, because of how crazy it is. The mental and physical preparation is crazy.”
Fans pushed in and out of the Coliseum as 5A began Friday night, while all the classes finished on Saturday.
“This is so much bigger and a lot more fans come to support us here,” said Cheyenne Mountain senior Tori Erchinger, whose team finished seventh after winning the title last year. “It’s a little overwhelming. But I love it and I love my teammates.“
For others, it was all business.
“We’re ready. I like this better than just competing at schools and I know we’ll bring it,” Indians junior Tina Sacco said. “It definitely gets the adrenaline up.”
