With bows perched high on their heads and faces full of glitter and excitement, the varsity cheer team competed in the annual Clovis Pep Classic competition, Jan. 30, and took first in their division.

For the 34th year in a row, the Clovis Pep was held at Clovis High School. The campus squad competed against Roosevelt, Riverdale and McLane High Schools in the Varsity Show Cheer Medium division.

“Clovis Pep is always one of my favorite competitions we go to,” senior Alyssa Boss said. “It’s really rewarding because we are able to perform with and against teams within our area. Most of the other schools that attend have a couple thousand students, while we only have a couple hundred, so it’s great to be recognized among the large schools.”

During Christmas break, the team had two weeks off, returning to practice before school began in order to prepare for the competition.

“Overall, I think the break benefitted the team,” head coach Robin Whitford said. “They really needed the rest. However, I think the team was used to practice by the end of the first week.”

Despite instability due to injuries and adding three girls to the team, Whitford says the squad has met challenges head-on.

“Throughout everything the girls have been through this year it has only made them stronger,” Whitford said. “This team has worked very hard and they deserve the scores and recognition they have received.”

The cheer team attends and cheers for girls’ basketball as well as boys’ games. The girls’ basketball team returned the favor by attending Clovis Pep. They made signs for the team as well.

“It felt good to support the cheerleaders because they always support us and come to our basketball games,” senior Paige Maltos said. “It felt good to do something different for a change. Sitting in front of the mats, being up front and personal and cheering them on was definitely my favorite part.”

Freshman basketball player Chantelle Brown is familiar with cheer competitions, but says Clovis Pep was a unique experience.

“I have been to three cheer competitions before Clovis Pep,” Brown said. “But this one was different and new compared to the other ones I have attended. It was very entertaining to watch.”

This is the first time the entire girls’ basketball team has attended a cheer competition.

“It truly meant a lot to have the support that we did,” cheerleader Lisa Lumeya, ’12, said. “It’s something that has never happened before, but I’m really glad they came as well as our families.”

Whitford says she held high standards for the competition.

“As a coach I expected them to do their very best,” Whitford said. “I wanted our team to leave the mats with no regrets. I feel as if we accomplished what we came to do as a team.”

Junior captain Kory Thompson says the victory was a sweet one for the team.

“Placing first was so exciting,” Thompson said. “We were all holding on to each other, and they finally got to our division, and we got so excited when they called, fourth, third, second, and we got first. We all were so excited and got up and jumped around. We made some mistakes in the routine, but it was better than we’ve done in the past.”

Whitford has not only coached the team with conditioning and choreography, but with spirituality.

“My greatest goal for this team is that they would learn to use whatever they are doing to honor God,” Whitford said. “I pray he is pleased with our efforts and hearts as well. This team is blessed in so many ways.”

The cheer squad will next perform at Azuza Pacific University in the Fellowship of Christian Cheerleaders West Coast Championships, Feb. 27. Later they will travel to Anaheim for USA Nationals, March 26-28.

For more information, read the Jan. 29, 2009 article, Clovis Pep summons super squad or check out Cheer prepares for Clovis Pep or e-mail Whitford.