Scott Swanson
Having finished either first or second in the state in each of the last five years, Sweet Home’s competitive cheer team isn’t looking for anything less as their season starts this week.
“We’re looking really good this year,” said Amber Rosa, who is in her second year of leading the Huskies after taking over from Crystal Kimball. “We have a really strong team.”
It’s experienced too. The Huskies return three seniors and two juniors, all of whom are veterans.
Sweet Home has placed second three years in a row after winning in 2007 and 2008.
Rosa said her team has what it takes – if they can put it together.
“Our choreographer has been all over the state and she told the girls this is the strongest team she’s ever seen from Sweet Home,” she said. “They really are. They have a lot of skills they’ve never had before.”
This year’s team is made up of 24 girls, 20 of whom will be on the floor competing, with four alternates waiting in the wings to step in, if necessary. Leading them will be the returnees, seniors Kendra Whaley, Jordyn Price and Kellie Pollock, and juniors Taylor Thorpe and Mariah Morneault.
Both Thorpe and Morneault have placed as individuals at the Allstate Cheer Competition, Thorpe twice taking first place.
Also on the team area seniors Sonya Corliss and Carii Syfert, who are new to the program.
Rosa said the Huskies are benefiting from gymnastics training they have received over the past several years from Tiffany Lynn, now of the Elite Performance Academy.
“For a while now in Sweet Home we’ve been building a gymnastics program and the girls have been taking gymnastics from Tiffany,” she said. “They have skills they’ve learned over a long period of time and they have new skills they’ve been able to bring to cheer.”
Another welcome addition is junior Breanna Froemke, a transfer from West Albany who placed third at this year’s Allstate competition. A longtime gymnast who competes for Oregon Dream Team in Portland, considered the top club cheer program in the Northwest, she brings advanced gymnastics skills to the Sweet Home team, Rosa said.
“The other team members have been doing it for a long time, but she’s been doing it a little longer,” she said. “As far as a team is concerned, the more experience you have, obviously the better.”
Rounding out the team are sophomores Kaelee Almy, Kalyn Hagle, Christina Jenkins, Autumn Martin,
Randi Rockstead, Selena Rowe, Courtney Sanders and Veronica Szuch, and freshmen Sabria Branton, Emma Fitzsimons, Aubrey Haskett, Sammy McMahand, Alex Olin, Adriana Perez, Caitlyn Spencer and Natalie Thorpe.
This year the Huskies plan to compete in five competitions, starting with the Laker Rumble this Saturday in Oregon City.
More locally, they will be at Springfield High School Jan. 14 and 28, followed by a competition Feb. 4 at the state fairgrounds in Salem.
Rosa said the goal this year is to win the state title. She expects the biggest competition to come from Brookings, which edged the Huskies last year for the championship, Klamath Union, Madras, South Umpqua and Cottage Grove.
“Klamath Union and Cottage Grove are both new programs, but they must have good coaches because they improved a lot last year,” she said. “Brookings beat us last year.
“Our goal this year is to get first. This is the hardest routine Sweet Home has ever had and this is the best team we’ve ever had. If we work hard, we should do well.”