Daily Sitka Sentinel

Wolves Cheer Squad Takes Region V Title

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
    The Sitka High Wolves cheer squad brought home the Region V title over the weekend, for the fourth time in the last five years.
    “I have gained a love for the sport since I was a little girl,” Sitka Wolves junior Tamryn Suarez told the Sentinel. Suarez has competed on the Sitka High cheer squad for three years. The Wolves have claimed the Region V title against the Mt. Edgecumbe Braves for all three of those years.
    Suarez credited the long-time returning squad members for her team’s consistent performance.
    “The returning people that come back each year hold a lot of what makes the team the way it is.”
    Suarez said that her mother was both a cheerleader and cheer coach as well.
    Sitka High cheer coach Kaycee Carter told the newspaper that she has watched the sport evolve over the years.
    “It’s becoming much more athletic. And we do a lot more things with lifting people and tumbling.”
    Carter said her team has a high level of motivation for the sport.
    “They’re very driven to try to hit their stunts and get new skills,” she said.
    A competition cheer squad is judged on a wide range of things, from sportsmanship and spacing to showmanship and voice projection.
    While the Wolves have taken the regional title in four of the past five competitions, both Carter and Suarez noted that Mt. Edgecumbe always puts up a fight.
    Suarez described the two teams as “pretty equal, in numbers and in spirit.”
    At the Regional tourney in Juneau last weekend, Sitka High’s Makayla Moore won the All Tourney accolade.
    “She’s been a cheerleader for the last three years... (she excels) with attitude, willingness to learn, just having high energy the entire time. She is always willing to try everything we ask,” Carter said.
    The coach also praised Zen Perkins, who performs the national anthem in sign language before the games.
    Carter said Perkins “is never scared.”
    Health concerns canceled the state basketball and cheer tournaments, which had been scheduled for March 26-29 in Anchorage.

The Sitka High cheerleaders perform during the Wolves 45-30 win over the Mt. Edgecumbe Lady Braves Thursday in the Region V 3A Girls Basketball Tournament at Juneau Douglas High School. The Wolves’ cheer squad took the Region V title against the Braves. (Sentinel photo by Klas Stolpe)

UPSIDE DOWN- Sitka Skipper Ruby Richter performs a ‘frog’ during her single freestyle performance, March 7 in Sitka. A number of teams from Alaska and Hawaii participated in the Region 9 jump rope competition. The Skippers fielded 22 athletes, of whom only seven had previous competition experience. Skippers coach Jessica Keaveny said that many of her skippers achieved personal
bests over the weekend of competition. (Sentinel photos by James Poulson)

FREESTYLE PERFORMANCE- Sitka Skipper Maleah Partido shows off her single freestyle abilities, March 7 at Sitka High School. (Sentinel photo)