Island Cheer Showcase (videos)
The noise, the hype and the energy were BROUGHT on Saturday March 28 as UVic hosted its first annual Island Cheer Showcase!
With nearly 400 guests in attendance, the McKinnon Gym was full of spirit as the audience watched three amazing cheer teams take the stage.
The Vikes Kids Cheer Academy, Spectrum Community School and the University of Victoria Vikes showcased their incredible skills, hoping to take those abilities and place the 2015 Sea to Sky Cheerleading National Championships in Vancouver, BC.
I was fortunate enough to help emcee the event and although I was pushing mad energy, the crowd was pushing it back. I didn’t think a group of people could have more energy than cheerleaders, but this group proved me wrong (which was a great thing)!
The Vikes Kids Cheer Academy performed first and set the mood and atmosphere for what was shaping into a miraculous and high-energy evening.
They killed their performance and it was so exciting to see the little kiddos just shine with their smiles and bask in the applause from the crowd.
Second up was Spectrum Community High School coached by UVic Cheer captains Kate Bell and Mishan Hedge. Spectrum was without a doubt superb in their skill! These young adults had a ridiculous amount of energy and strength.
Their passion and commitment to the routine and the floor was captivating and I couldn’t take my eyes off them! Check out their performance here:
Last up, we had our home team and the shiners of the night – the UVic Cheer Team! This group of university students practice early mornings and late nights throughout the week to help increase the spirit at our school and create a sense of belonging for all our students.
The team, coached by ex-UVic cheerleader Emma Brautigan, are so dedicated to our campus and the insanely tough sport of cheerleading (yes, it’s a sport – you try throwing someone up in the air while they flip then catch them).
This is the first year the team is competing in competition and we just know that they won’t let our campus down! Take a look at their rad performance:
At the end of the night there were awards for stand out participants on each of the teams, including a special thank you to team coach Emma Brautigan.
If you’d like more information on any of the cheer programs at the University of Victoria and within the community – check out their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/vikescheerteam?fref=ts
