Local middle school wins big at national cheer meet

Canyon Lake Middle School Competition Cheer Team also won the Game Day competition on the first day of the event in the Band Chant division.

Canyon Lake Middle School Competition Cheer Team was named 2020 USA Junior Nationals Grand Champions earlier this month at the USA Spirit Nationals at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The team placed Grand Champions, which means it scored the highest overall points in all competitions for all junior high school show cheer teams.

The competition was held at the Anaheim Convention Center on Feb. 15 and 16 and is the biggest cheer competition event for schools on the west coast. There were over 2,000 competitors in the middle school divisions.

The team started off competing on Saturday evening in the Junior High Game Day, Band Chant division, but Sunday was the big day of cheering and competing.

“We wanted to get the girls out on the competition floor a day prior to our big competition to work out nerves and get a feel for the venue by competing in the fun Game Day events,” coach Tammy Howard said. “We won that division and became National Game Day Champions!”

The team was up on Sunday by 4:30 a.m. to get ready and practice for the biggest day of competition.

Sunday, the cheer team competed in four stunt group competitions, two teams in novice groups and two in advanced. They placed in both events, one group winning the title of Junior High Advanced Stunt Group Champions.

The team also competed and won its division in the Junior High Show Cheer Medium. The cheer team’s final competition was in big team divisions and it hit it out of the park again.

The team cheered, made it to finals and then cheered one final time for the night.

“We made it to finals and had to compete one more time in the evening and had another fantastic performance!” Tammy said.“Then to our surprise, we were announced the Grand Champions after having the highest score out of all Junior High Show Cheer divisions…24 teams in all!”

After the grueling weekend of competition, the team headed across the street and celebrated at Disneyland the next day.

Competition team members from Canyon Lake are Allyson Villarreal, Bailey Graham, Callie Reeves, Carisa Ronchetti, Eliana Ruyle, Emma Cole, Captain Kolena Apana, McKenzie Cassara, Natasha Warner, Riley Bergherm, Ryann Boshard, Ryleigh Cooley, Sawyer Lanouette, Shae Inchcliff and Captain Summer Scott. Additional members are Delaney Shaw, Emilie Quiroz, Emma Dornay, Gage Dudziak and Captain Lacy Castillo. Coaches are Tammy Howard and Kendall Howard.