Kamehameha Schools proved itself a powerhouse of cheerleading last night as its varsity and junior varsity squads took first place for the eighth straight year in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Championships at its Kapalama campus.

Deep with seniors, Kamehameha's 12-member varsity squad scored 338.5 points, beating out 'Iolani (270) and Punahou (267.5).

Its junior varsity squad scored 240.5 points, with Punahou finishing second with 199.5.

More than 200 supporters filled Kekuhaupi'o Gym to watch the three high schools compete in both divisions.

The Warriors' varsity squad dominated, turning out a clean 2 1/2-minute routine punctuated with impressive tumbling passes, clean heel stretches and well-executed full-ups.

"We left everything on the floor tonight with no regrets," said Keenyn Won, 17, one of six seniors on Kamehameha's varsity squad. "We just said, 'We gotta do this. This is our house.' "

As ILH champs, the school will compete in the HHSAA/Zippy's Cheerleading State Championships on Dec. 2 at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Prior to the last state championships, held in January, the Warriors had won the state title five years in a row. Mililani upset Kamehameha, which racked up costly deductions, to earn its first title.

"We really felt we let that (title) go," said Kamehameha co-head coach Dolly Wong. "To take nothing away from Mililani, we just didn't do the best we felt we could've done."

Kamehameha's cheer athletes practiced two hours a day, six days a week for yesterday's competition.

The squads were judged in four key areas: fundamental skills, team choreography, routine execution and overall construction of the routine. Judges looked at jumps, stunts, dance, timing, synchronization, spacing, creativity, voice projection and crowd leadership, among other elements.

To prepare for the state championship, Wong said the team will have to revamp its routine to include higher-level stunts and skills.

"We'll be facing superior squads out there," Wong said. "We've got to meet that standard. We have to up the ante."

What has set Kamehameha apart from other squads, said co-head coach Melissa Beimes, has been its focus on execution. That, she said, won't change.

"We just coach them to be clean in anything they do," said Beimes, an alum of the school's cheer program. "That's what Kamehameha is all about."

Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.