WAIMEA — Six cheer squads from the Kaua‘i Pop Warner Football League earned eligibility to the Pop Warner Super Bowl and National Cheer and Dance Championships, Sunday. The annual regional cheer competition is a highlight for the five Pop Warner
WAIMEA — Six cheer squads from the Kaua‘i Pop Warner Football League earned eligibility to the Pop Warner Super Bowl and National Cheer and Dance Championships, Sunday.
The annual regional cheer competition is a highlight for the five Pop Warner associations on Kaua‘i, and there were no football games scheduled for this weekend so the cheer squads could prepare for the Kaua‘i regional.
Troy Lazaro, a former cheerleader with the Waimea High School cheer program, served as the event emcee and explained that Wescon representative Yvonne Hosaka worked hard to secure the Kaua‘i regional.
“This means the Kaua‘i squads compete to advance directly to the Nationals held in Florida at the Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex,” Lazaro said.
Following the sold-out competition at the Clem Gomes Gym in Waimea, Hanapepe Colts and the Kekaha Pop Warner Association finished with two squads gaining eligibility to the Florida Nationals which will be held Dec. 4-11.
The Hanapepe Colts, host to this year’s cheer event, finished with a second place in the Junior Pee Wee Small division, collecting 63.83 points below the division’s first place winner, the Lihu‘e Patriots who garnered 71.67 points.
Just one points separated first and second place in the Junior Midget Intermediate Small division as Hanapepe Colts edged out the Kekaha Panthers, 71.50 points to Kekaha’s 70.50 points.
Third place in that division went to the Lihu‘e Patriots who collected 68.63 points followed by the Kapa‘a Eagles with 66.17 points. Third and fourth place winners do not advance.
Kekaha’s second entry to Florida came with the Kekaha Panthers controlling the Junior Pee Wee Intermediate division with a performance that earned the team 74.17 points.
The Koloa Pop Warner Association rounds out the eligible teams with 60.5 points in the Junior Midget Small division.
Hosaka said with the eligibility, the associations and its coaches must decide whether or not to make the trip to Florida to compete in the National Cheer and Dance Championships.
Once a decision is reached, the squads planning on attending will be embarking on its fundraising campaigns to help offset some of the travel expenses for the week-long competition.
Lazaro pointed out the number of people in the audience and participating squads that have been to Florida in previous National championships, including Avery Kano, the head coach for the Kaua‘i High School cheer squad who was joined by the defending Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation cheer champion Waimea High School, and Kapa‘a High School squads in exhibition routines.
The Pop Warner National Cheer and Dance Championships feature more than 500 cheer and dance squads who compete at the five-day event. Competitions take place at the Milk House at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex.
Cheer and dance squads compete in four different age ranges including Junior Pee Wee, Pee Wee, Junior Midget and Midget as well as two squad sizes, small and large, and three competition categories including novice, intermediate and advanced.
The pepsters will be back along the sidelines starting Saturday when tackle football resumes at the New Kapa‘a Town Park with the Kapa‘a Eagles hosting the Hanapepe Colts starting at 7 a.m.
On Sunday, Kekaha hosts Lihu‘e at Hanapepe Stadium starting at 1 p.m.
