On Saturday February 18, the Nebraska Schools Activity Association held their annual State Cheer and Dance Championships in Grand Island. The Alliance High School cheer squad competed in two of the divisions. Performing a hip hop number to “A Little More” by Machine Gun Kelly and a Cheer Dance to “Kenkraft 400” by Sport Stadium Chant.

Although the girls did not place, they have put several hours of hard work and time into these dances. Senior cheerleader Sharaya Toof said “State Cheer is something that I will always carry with me. It was my first and only time I got to go to state so I took in every moment possible. Bonding with the other cheerleaders was by far the best part.”

Outside of the actual state competition, the girls had the opportunity to enjoy some time with their teammates. After traveling to Grand Island on Friday, they got to enjoy a nice dinner at Red Lobster. “State cheer was super fun and it will be one of my best memories that I will have from when I lived here in Alliance. I loved it!” stated Italian foreign exchange student Beatrice Barzaghi.

Cheerleading coach Tara Quick stated “This is our third year participating at State Cheer. We improved by over 20 points from last year! It’s all about learning, improving and enjoying the experience! We can’t wait until next year!”

We would like to thank the cheerleaders for all of their hard work that they put into cheering and keeping the Bulldog spirit going all year long! Go Bulldogs!