Cheer and dance teams gear up for state spirit championships

The local cheer and dance squads may be small, but they are packed with potential as they head to the Pit this weekend for New Mexico State Spirit Championships.

Socorro will be competing Saturday in the dance portion of the competition, doing Pom and Hip Hop, while Magdalena will be competing Friday in Cheer With Music and Game Day.

Socorro

“It’s been a great season so far,” Warriors coach Stefanie Bunning said. “We compete in pom and hip hop and we’ve done very well. We’ve placed in both categories at almost every competition.”

They just went after the New Mexico Dance and Cheer Competition in Bernalillo last weekend and earned second-place trophies in both categories while going up against other 3A schools.

But Saturday’s event will pit Socorro against teams in 1A-though 4A and with just four athletes on the team, that makes it tough.

“We’re a bit mismatched, going up against these other schools that have 15 to 20 girls,” Bunning said. “When they’re bigger, they’re able to do a lot more; transitions and formations and that sort of thing. We do our best with our size.”

Seniors Amalia Tenorio and Sienna Bunning, as well as freshmen Jasleen Rodriguez and Macayla Amaro have proven to able to take on all comers, coach Bunning said.

“All of these dancers, they have been dancing since childhood,” the coach said. “My daughter started dancing at 5 years old. She’s been dancing for quite awhile. They all have danced at a dance studio. So they’ve all been dancing competitively for quite a while.”

The team makes up for their small squad size with athletes who are go-getters.

“They are upbeat, they are very technical-wise,” coach Bunning said. “We have a lot of enthusiasm. Our girls have strong stage presence and they really enjoy performing. It shows how much their love of dance comes out and to be out doing their thing.”

While the Pit can be an intimidating place for newcomers, like the team’s freshmen, they got the chance to compete there during the annual Halftime Hoorah during the high school state basketball tournament.

“It’s a lot of fun,” the coach said. “It’s good practice so they could see what it was like. It’s always fun to compete in big arenas.”

And coming away with smiles on their faces is the main goal, Bunning said.

“We’re going to have a lot of fun,” she said. “We hope to come out with some trophies, but we’re going to enjoy the experience. For the juniors and seniors, it’s not their first time, but it’s fun for the freshmen who have not gotten to experience it before.”

Magdalena

With a small school whose coaches are all scrambling for athletes, that the Steers are able to put nine competitors on the mat for the 1A-2A Cheer With Music and the Game Day competitions is pretty amazing.

“Very carefully,” Steers coach Anissa Ritter said with a chuckle of the way they approach their routines. “I try to pump my girls up as much as I can. It’s not just about winning a trophy. Winning a trophy would be nice, but what’s important is that they are doing something that most kids will never do in their lives. It’s hard to put yourself out there on the mat. It’s nerve wracking. It’s exhausting.”

The team has bonded together throughout the season and having a strong finish is not out of the realm of possibility, Ritter said.

“These athletes, they’re such an incredible group of girls,” she said. “Every single practice, they give me 110 percent of their very best.”

Senior Rebekah Cearley is the team leader and coach on the floor, Ritter said, and fellow senior Morgan Perkins, who just joined the squad this season after moving to the school this season, also helps out with leadership.

Juniors Julie Lower and Belem Villa-Molina are also doing their part with the younger athletes.

“Going into Friday, my expectations are that my girls have fun,” the coach said. “That’s my biggest expectations is to improve from past competitions. Would a trophy be nice? Yes, it would help solidify our status and our reputation. But, especially improving on their skills, being unified and representing themselves and the school in a complementary manner in the best way they know how. That’s what makes me proud.”