It was a rookie team but that didn’t faze the Warriors as Lebanon’s competition cheer squad won the school’s first state championship in three years.
Lebanon’s girls delivered a performance that outscored two-time defending champion Crescent Valley by nearly four points in the state 5A Traditional cheer championships Saturday, Feb. 14 at Oregon City High School.
The Warriors were viewed as one of the top contenders in what was arguably the deepest field in the state, with 13 other schools in their competition.
“We knew we had a good routine,” said Coach Jenny Pickles, in her 11th year with the team. “But the questions were, could we put the nerves aside? Could we hit it?”
She said her team, which included only four girls who had previously competed at state, have paid attention throughout the season.
“They listen to what I have to say, they apply it and in the end, it ended up working out,” she said of their performance on Saturday.
“A lot of the teams in our division had the same skill set. They were solid teams and it was going to come down to who bring it at state, who hits their routine and what the judges are looking for.
“The kids did a great job.”
One of the leaders on the young team is Pickles’ daughter Addy, a senior this year, who was a member of the Warriors team that won the title in 2023. Addy Pickles set a record last fall by becoming the first-ever four-time All-State winner in any division for the Oregon Cheer Coaches Association.
She, Aubree Collins and Bailey Sim are the only seniors on this year’s team. Rounding out the roster are juniors Chloe Francis, Erin Thiele and Maddalinn Howard, sophomores Charli Burns, Charlotte Ford and Faith Strauss, and freshmen Natalie Sanderson and Sophia Vo.
Jenny Pickles said the emphasis for her team Saturday was to simply deliver their best performance of the year.
“If we did and we walked away empty-handed, that was OK,” she said.
But they walked away with the top trophy to boot.
“It’s really exciting,” Pickles said.
Next up for the Warriors is the USA Spirit Nationals in Anaheim, Calif. The event attracts hundreds of high school teams from around the nation.
“We want to give that our best shot too,” the coach said. “We’re just so happy about the weekend.