Colton Cheer is nothing but money, takes 1st place at SHARP
Team wins with a creative display of technique, creativity and spirit at their first competition of the season
The Colton Cheer squad shows off its first place hardware after winning the varsity cheer division at the annual SHARP Cheerleading Competition in El Monte on Dec. 10.
El Monte, CA—On Saturday, Colton High’s cheer squad, usually on the sidelines bringing a heavy dose of school spirit, took center mat at the SHARP Competition. The competition squad placed first in the varsity cheer division, which featured 10 schools, including local teams from Grand Terrace and AB Miller.
SHARP was the team’s first event of the year, and they only had two weeks to prepare for it. However, the routine revealed strengths in teamwork and stuntwork, as Colton made few errors and played to their greatest strength: school spirit.
“Being on the mat for the first time is a whole new experience,” said senior cheer captain Denise Diaz. “I feel like we’re all better now for it. We all shared that experience and are going to want to work towards more hits and wins in the coming season.”
The first place performance was a money-centered routine called “Colton Gold.” It featured the songs “Rich Girl” by Gwen Stefani and “Billionaire” by Bruno Mars. The team put on a display of dance, stunts, and precision choreography showing off their wide range of cheer technique and creativity.
In addition to the first place trophy, the team was also awarded two spirit sticks for their proud display of school spirit during the awards rally.
According to Diaz, in addition to the limited preparation time, the team also had two freshmen students without cheer experience. Gennesis Delgadillo was one, and she found her experience memorable.
“I never expected to even make it on the team since I had no experience in anything having to do with cheer. But I made it and everything happened so fast . . . I was super nervous, but the team helped my nerves go down and made the experience better.”
The cheer squad arrived early for the all-day event, which also included food trucks, merch booths, and activities in addition to the competitive event.
A spirit of collegiality mixed with the competitive nature of the event, as squads interacted and offered support for each other. There was also a special performance put on by a college team called the Bling Queens.
SHARP was founded by Robyn Sharp, a former cheerleader in her youth, who lead the Rose Parade and was an L.A. Rams cheerleader. She is currently 65 years old and has been involved with cheer for 50 years. After retiring from cheerleading, she began SHARP International, which has been supporting competitive cheer for 47 years.
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Bella Winter is a freshman at Colton High School. When she's not cheering for the Yellowjackets, you can find her at the Pepper Bough writing about events,...