THE GORGE — Cheer squads from The Dalles and Hood River will compete at the Feb. 13-14 OSAA 2026 Cheerleading State Championships at Oregon City High School.
The Hood River cheer team will compete Feb. 14 in the Traditional Small 5A competition. The Eagle squad is scheduled to perform at 2:35 p.m. The Dalles cheer team will compete in the Feb. 14 evening session in the Traditional - COED 4A/3A/2A/1 category.
Many competitive cheer squads practice and/or compete nine months out of the year. The teams are mostly self-funded, using donations and fundraisers to pay for competitions.
The Dalles cheer team has finished first and second (twice) in competitions the past month. The Riverhawk team was second in the 4A Game Day Section and stunt categories at David Douglas High School on Jan. 24.
The Dalles team is coached by Kris and Katelyn Vasser, with team choreography by Tara Mahoney and Katelyn Vasser. Team members are: Lillya Dahl, Keely Byrd, Noelani Eggers, Le’Aziah Collins, Athena Lepinski, Hunter Janson, Hailey Cain, Grace Martin, Maycee Foote, Angela Garcia, and Shirley Cornejo.
Hood River Valley’s cheer squad is coached by Lisa Kawachi, with team choreography by Brian Cao. State team members are: Jazleen Lopez, Yareli Verdin, Judith Magana, Sarah Engum, and Seattle Strayer.
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