The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

The Wahkiakum Cheer Squad poses with awards from their summer camp. From left to right are

Chelsea Paulsen, Paris Cothren, Madison LaBerge, Taryn Peterson, Marissa Washington, Kennedi LaBerge, Lainie Ferguson, Megan Perez, and Coach Aztell in the middle. Not pictured are Dallas Gott and Selena Ramirez. Courtesy photo.

This fall, students, parents, families and friends will pack into the bleachers to watch the Mules take on various opponents. Leading the audiences through various cheers, some of Wa-Ki-Hi’s most spirited students look forward to showing off their talents for supporting fans.

Eight cheerleaders represented Wahkiakum High School’s cheer squad at a recent camp held at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma. The girls spent four days and three nights competing against squads from around Washington State.

“The girls were evaluated on crowd cheers, and dance routines,” said head coach Aztell McGee. “They learned tons of new material to bring home for the upcoming sports year.”

Contesting with 22 other cheer teams, Mule cheerleaders earned a coveted superior trophy as well as numerous superior ribbons.

“They have come a long way and they earned every award they received,” said McGee. “They put in long days with barely any breaks. I am very proud of them and all that they achieved in the four days we were gone.

“Even though camp was early, the days were long and they were tired; their spirits and attitudes never became negative. They worked very hard, and I know that this program is on its way to prove itself and finally get respected within the community,” said McGee.

Nine girls for football season and six for basketball will present various activities that require the talent and art of cheers, tumbling, dance, stunting and jumps. The girls will encourage involvement, participation and concentration of the spectators, an important addition to the sporting event.

“Cheerleading is always overlooked and not taken seriously,” said McGee. “These girls are athletes; they are not just pretty girls in skirts. They have worked hard and they want to be noticed. They deserve every ounce of respect. It’s not only a physical challenge with stunting and dancing, but it’s a mental challenge as well.”

Anyone who feels uncomfortable standing in the front of a crowd must respect the courage and confidence that it takes for these girls to perform for large audiences. With any luck, those crowds will be larger than ever, coming out this fall to support the Mule cheer squad and their hours of hard work.