RIO RANCHO – In keeping with the theme of the night, what follows is the streamlined breakdown of Saturday’s high-energy New Mexico Activities Association State Spirit Championships:

Cleveland’s cheerleaders won their first state championship.

Hope Christian’s cheerleaders won their 10th consecutive state title.

And the Valley dancers reclaimed their throne from Eldorado.

It was difficult to surmise who was more emotional about their victory at a near sold-out Santa Ana Star Center – the Storm or the Vikettes.

Valley had won six straight dance championships before Eldorado surprisingly unseated them last year.

“It was disappointing, and we were shocked,” said Valley senior Tawnee Maestas, “but we didn’t dwell on it. Last year was kind of a setback but it made us stronger.”

Vikettes coach Sandra Naranjo said her daughter Danielle, the team’s choreographer, played an integral role in returning Valley to the top.

“Very sweet,” Naranjo said about the team win. “Last year, I could not have asked for a better performance from the girls, and then this year they went above and beyond and topped it.”

This year, it was a visibly disappointed Eldorado that finished as the runner-up.

“They never lost hope or faith in themselves,” Naranjo said. “We just did what we usually do, and we try to do it better every year.”

West Mesa finished third in 5A dance.

Cleveland’s cheer squad had been inching toward this moment for two years. The Storm was third two years ago, then runner-up in 2012.

The Storm closed its eyes and clenched hands in that moment of silence before it was announced it had won a state championship.

“It feels like the longest moment of your life,” said four-year cheerleader Kiera Newman.

Mayfield placed second in 5A cheerleading, with Rio Rancho third.

“The difference, in my mind, was the work we put in since last year,” said Cleveland senior Justice Gurule, the only male on the squad. (More than two males means a squad must compete in the coed division.)

When Mayfield was announced as the second-place team, the group of Cleveland cheerleaders, sitting at the north end, tensed up. A couple of them even smiled, sensing their moment had finally arrived.

“We couldn’t hold it in,” Storm coach Alex Kramer said. “We had a feeling. And we’re just thrilled.”

Newman said Cleveland made a point of increasing the degree of difficulty in its routine since last March, and she said that was probably the difference between first and second place this year.

“We set higher goals,” Newman said. “We had more tumbling, put in harder stunts, stuff like that. That’s what we lacked the other years, was a degree of difficulty.”

Cleveland has now won three state championships at the Star Center this school year, after volleyball and wrestling.

“This means the world to me,” Newman said. “This is all I wanted since I was a little girl.”

Hope Christian won the 3A cheer crown and the Huskies’ dynasty in this sport continues. Raton and Taos were second and third, respectively.

“Their performances were near flawless and amazing,” Hope coach Kelly Grice said. “This team worked so hard, and seeing all the hard work pay off makes the coaches proud to be a part of something this amazing.”

Sandia Prep placed third in 3A dance. Roswell swept the Class 4A cheer and dance titles, just as the Coyotes did last year.

Los Lunas was third in 4A dance, while Centennial from Las Cruces was runner-up in cheer, the new school’s first-ever sports trophy.

Eldorado, in addition to its second-place trophy in 5A dance, also placed second in the combined 4A/5A coed cheer category. Las Cruces was the champion, with Oñate third.

Teams in cheer and dance were judged on two performances – one Friday and the other on Saturday.

Among sanctioned sports, only basketball and football produce more ticket revenue at state than the spirit competition. The Star Center was just about full Friday and Saturday, with Saturday’s crowd at about 6,500.
— This article appeared on page D1 of the Albuquerque Journal