Posted on: Saturday, February 14, 2004
Kamehameha cheerleaders return with national crown
Advertiser Staff
The Kamehameha Schools varsity cheerleaders returned home Wednesday night "exhausted, but exhilarated" after winning a national title for the second year in a row.
Kamehameha defeated 59 other regional winners to capture the National High School Cheerleading Championship in the small varsity division (12 or fewer all-girl performers).
The competition was completed last Saturday in Orlando, Fla., and will be telecast on ESPN at a later date. The team stayed on the Mainland a few days after its victory.
Kamehameha coach Dolly Wong said the team was "exhausted, but exhilarated for accomplishing our No. 1 goal since last May."
"It was probably the hardest one we've ever been through. (Kamehameha has participated five years in a row.) The competition was very intense. The level of cheerleading there is just incredible. It's amazingly high, so for our girls not to pressure out, not to get intimidated was real good."
Senior captain Emi Manuia, an honors student who is heading to Stanford, said the sensation was surreal.
"Practices are pretty mundane ... Being in front of a crowd and getting that rush of adrenaline. It felt like it didn't happen. We felt like we were dreaming," said Manuia, who was a member of last year's team.
Summer Maunakea, another senior captain who is headed to Azusa Pacific (Calif.), said: "It was just amazing that we could win again because of the pressure. Everybody on the team kept focus on being their best rather than beating other teams. So it was a good team mindset."
The team's performance consisted of tumbling passes, dance routine involving precision and execution. It ended with a pyramid.
Jim Lord, executive director of the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Advisors, said Kamehameha "is always a crowd favorite at nationals ... not only their performance on the floor, but their sportsmanship and support of the other teams there. They are remarkable representatives of your school system and community."
Kamehameha defeated Hamilton Southeastern High School of Indiana.
A squad representing Saint Louis School also competed and advanced to the semifinals rounds that included more than a dozen teams.
"That just says something about the caliber of cheerleading in Hawai'i," said Wong, who has coached at Kamehameha since 1991. "We're becoming like a small Texas."
Wong said her Kamehameha team trains six days a week, about three hours a practice.
The National High School Cheerleading Championships is produced by the Universal Cheerleading Association. It is the only competitive event of its kind that is endorsed by the National Federation of State High School Associations.
Kamehameha's roster:
Jessie Ahuna (12th grade), Mia Archuleta (11), Tiare Camarillo (12), Corinne Chun (9), Alyssa Kong (10), Shawna Lee (12), Emi Manuia (12), Summer Maunakea (12), Tamara Patton (10), Teine Silva (10), Kawena Vierra (10), Lehua Watanabe (12), Alternates: Kaui Kaanoi (10), Jasmine Mersberg (9). Head coach Dolly Wong. Assistant coaches Melissa Beimes and Shannon Cosma.
