Vista Ridge High School held a celebratory assembly in March to honor the achievements of the students, teams and activities, and capped it off with a banner honoring the cheerleaders.

The VRHS co-ed cheerleading squad won the 5A Colorado State Championship this year. But they weren’t done just yet. At the national competition they placed 8th in the country. 

“They are the state champions,” said Becki Simms, VRHS interim principal. “This is a little different for them because we’re cheering them on.” 

The cheerleaders gathered at the end of the gymnasium as the student body cheered and counted down. With a tug of some string, the team pulled a cloth cover to reveal the State Championship banner that will hang for years to come. 

As far as the students and staff cheering for them, “It feels amazing,” said senior Taylor Joy. “It’s really nice for the school and everyone to recognize all the hard work we’ve put in this season.” 

Senior Owen Glasgow said, “I agree, it’s nice getting that approval because not a lot of people think it’s a sport. When you get to know the sport, it’s a lot harder than people think.”

The new state championship banner hangs just above banners from 2020-21 and 2021-22 that recognize the team’s two second place finishes at state. 

“We were so close the last two years,” Owen said. “Being able to finish the job felt really good.” 

“It feels great,” Taylor said. “The culture we created this year was so important. We wouldn’t have been able to do it without it. Being able to win state our senior year was just amazing.”