WP Cheerleaders Plan Tougher Routines

WAITSBURG - As the WP football team is setting its sights on another state championship win, the WP cheer squad is also stepping up its spirit, stunts and dances with the hope of providing great support in the Tacoma Dome again.

This year, the WP cheer squad boasts six varsity cheer- leaders and four junior varsity cheerleaders, said coach Vickie Hamann. The varsity squad is fairly young, with just three returning cheerleaders and two cheerleaders who have never cheered before, she said. But, she doesn't expect the lack of veterans to be an obstacle.

"They're all picking up things really fast," Hamann said.

The squad is working on learning all of the cheers and working on stunts for the pep assembly scheduled for the first Friday of school.

"We want to do something amazing for that," she said.

She's hoping to put together a stunt and possibly a dance that will incite spirit in the student body and get it ready for the fall sports season. The cheer squad recently attended a two-day cheer camp at Waits- burg High School where they learned two dances, stunts and new cheers. The new material should make for a great pep assembly performance.

"And it will add some new things to our cheer package," Hamann said.

Katy Hofer, who has been on the squad for three years, will be a senior and the captain this fall. She said she tried vol- leyball one fall, but returned to cheer because it was fun.

"And I thought I was better at it," Hofer said.

She's excited to be leading the squad in learning the nearly 100 cheers the squad has to memorize as well as teaching the three or four dances they will perform throughout the season.

"Most of them are pretty easy," Hofer said of the cheers.

Hofer's goal for this fall is to be safe because of all of the new squad members learning the new stunts. Hofer said she has only stunted with two of her squad members before and safety will be key to advanc- ing to more difficult stunts. Also, she said she would like to add more dances to their routines. She said last year at the state championship the squad performed one dance and it could have been more of a wow factor.

"We could have done a more difficult dance," she said.

She hopes to return to state to cheer on the WP football team and also will strive to have a pep assembly before every home game to increase school spirit.

"We really want the whole school involved," Hofer said.

Hamann's goal is similar to Hofer's - be supportive.

"We want to provide ex- cellent athletic support for the athletic teams and the student body - Waitsburg and Prescott," Hamann said. "They're a great group of girls and really enthusiastic."

There are actually three WP cheerleaders who attend Prescott School, so the spirit won't just be on the Waitsburg campus. Next up, the squad will make locker decorations for every student athlete at both high schools, Hamann said.

And yes, cheering again at the Tacoma Dome is certainly on Hamann's mind too.

"The girls really had a great time last year and we hope that everything works out," she said.

WP Cheer Roster

Varsity

Katy Hofer

Samantha Moss

Maddy Witt

Chelsey Brannock

Jessie Hopkins

Heidi Miller

Bailey Edwards

Junior Varsity

Selina Benito

Yajaira Barragan

Blanca Quiroz

Margaret Potolicchio