TD cheer squad places third at Pacer Invite

Competing in the coed small-school division for the first time in program history, The Dalles put together a third-place effort versus eight other 6A and 5A schools at the Pacer Invitational in Lakeridge.

TD senior Nathan Nañez recalled a statement made by assistant coach Jessica Rodda after the Hawks completed their routine.

“Coach Rodda told us, ‘TDHS Cheer has never competed in coed; so you all competed for the first time in a division that has never been touched by TD before, and that is something to be proud of – that is making history,’” Nañez said. “And I couldn’t agree more. I’d say that this team isn’t trying to carry the massive legacy of TDHS Cheer. We’re starting our own.”

On the mat, the Riverhawks opened with their cheer section, which includes running and standing tumbling.

Then they moved into their stunt section, which includes jumps, jump and tumble and a pyramid section, before ending with a dance.

There is a three-part scoresheet where teams are judged on, ranging from formations/transitions, routine motions, crowd leading, cheer skills, dance, showmanship, and routine creativity.

Participants were also judged on tumbling and jumps (standing tumbling difficulty and execution, running tumbling difficulty and execution, and jump difficulty and execution), along with a building skills portion (stunt difficulty and execution, pyramid difficulty and execution, toss difficulty and execution).

The Dalles placed third behind David Douglas and Mountainside High School.

Summit, Clackamas, Centennial, Beaverton and Canby rounded out the final standings.

“I am so proud of my team,” TD senior Mackenzie Smith said. “We went into our first competition of the season in a new division, which isn’t easy, because we are going up against 6A schools. We came out with third, so I would say that it is definitely a good start. I think that with more practice there is no doubt in my mind, that our program will continue to grow and rock it at state.”

Over the past six months, Sugg-Wallace and her cheer members have put in the hours in preparation.

While practice and constant repetitions are essential to any team’s success, just dealing with the anticipation of a first event can be nerve-racking.

Now those jitters are alleviated, and the team can focus on the rest of their performances.

“Our team got to experience what it will be like for the rest of the year with competing in our other competitions,” TD senior Hannah Wallis said. “We were able to walk away from our competition happy and ready to continue working to improve our routine. I loved watching the freshmen, who are new to the team, get to share a competition experience with us. They did so amazing. I was impressed with our team as a whole. Everyone did so great, and I loved how we gave it our all.”

Ahead of Saturday, TD head coach Kelsey Sugg-Wallace threw brand new skills at her athletes in the practice before competition on Thursday.

Even on short notice, they threw them and hit them well during their set.

“We had some wobbly stunts, and in the cheer world, execution is key,” Sugg-Wallace said. “This week, I’m hoping to work on adding in more difficulty to our stunt and tumbling sequences, while working our execution to increase our overall score. The kids fought for everything they had and did exactly what I asked for and more. I’m excited to see what the next few weeks have in store.”

At the all-girl level, teams are split by classification (6A and 5A), but in the coed division, there are only two divisions, small and large, with teams that have two or fewer boys placed in the small, as opposed to three or more for the large.

The small coed division is one of the largest this year, so coach Sugg-Wallace knew that her squad would be signing up for a big challenge.

“I have faith that these kids are going to fight to hold their own this year,” Sugg-Wallace said. “I was extremely proud to be walking away with a third-place finish against some really great teams. Our routine was far from perfect, as it was our first competition, so we have a lot of work to do between now and state (Feb. 9).”

Up next, TD travels to David Douglas High School for action at the Scotsmen Rumble on Saturday.

As one of a handful of senior veterans on the team, Wallis said that group’s goal is to leave their mark and continue to pass down the torch to the underclassmen.

“There have been so many girls who are ready to take on the role of leading our team, and it’s so amazing to get to watch them grow and lead the team without us,” Wallis said. “It shows us that the team will continue to succeed and expand. I love my team, and I’m so proud and honored to be competing with them for my last year of high school.”