craigdailypress.com

As if winning three consecutive National Cheerleaders Association regional competitions wasn't enough, the Northwest Colorado Wildkat All-Star cheerleading team has a new title to defend.

The Wildkats not only placed first in their division, they were named the Grand Champions of all teams in Grand Junction Saturday.

"I thought we really came back and got some good things done in practice after Denver," coach Dawn Rader said. "We had more confidence and our routine fit the NCA competition a little better."

The Denver competition Rader referred to was the United Spirit Association regional Nov. 15 where the 'Kats, a team with fourth- through ninth- graders, finished second in their division and the younger Kittens, kindergarten- through third-graders, finished third.

With six of the 10 Kittens competing in their first competition Rader was impressed by their poise.

"You're always nervous about girls and their first time out," she said. "They could freeze up performing in front of 750 people, but they did great."

After the USA competition the teams came back home and tweaked their routines. The 'Kats had to make several adjustments because in the USA division they weren't allowed some of the stunts that the NCA division allows.

"To be able to do single-leg stunts in USA all of our girls have to be capable of doing a standing back handspring and not everybody can," Rader said. "We moved down to a division that doesn't allow single legs but in NCA we could do our single leg stunts."

Rader also said she thought the growth of USA the past few years had made it a deeper competition than NCA.

"We're going up against teams who go to gyms all around the Front Range and recruit," she said. "USA has become tougher the past few years but our second-place finish was against several teams we usually finish behind."

In Grand Junction the 'Kats were awarded a 7.6 out of 10, a score Rader said she believes they can improve on.

"I would like for us to be at a high eight or nine by the time we go to California," she said. "We have some new fliers who will improve during that time."

Watch for the 'Kats and Kittens during a high shool basketball game halftime in the future. Rader said they hope to tighten up their routines in at least one halftime performance this winter.

The teams earned national bids to both NCA and USA competitions but will bypass those to travel to the NCA West Coast Classic in California. That competition is from March 19-21.

David Pressgrove can be reached at 824-7031 or dpressgrove@craigdailypress.com