Cheerleading may not be a traditional winter sport, but ask any of the girls on the Hood River Valley High School competitive cheer team what they’ve been up to for the last few months and they’d be happy to tell you just how much effort they have put into the season. And as the season comes to a climax at this weekend’s OSAA State Cheerleading Championships, the team will face a bittersweet moment.

The excitement of being at the Memorial Coliseum and performing in front of thousands of screaming friends, family and fellow competitors is an experience the girls will probably never forget. But their moment in the spotlight is but a flash, and all the energy and hard work they’ve invested during the last few months — and, for the seniors, the last few years — comes down to a mere two-and-a-half-minute performance. And for the seniors, it will be their last routine wearing the Eagle uniform.