Waukon cheerleading squad wins Stunt Group championship, claims runner-up finish in Time Out at Iowa State Championships
Two-time trophy winnings include State Championship and Runner-Up finishes ... Members of the Waukon Indian cheerleading squad display the trophies and medals they won at the Iowa Cheerleading Coaches’ Association State Championships held Saturday, November 4 in the Jacobson Exhibition Center at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. The Indians won the Class 2A Division in the Stunt Group (left trophy) and finished as the Class 2A Runner-Up in the Timeout Division (right trophy). Pictured above are: Left to right - Front row: Freshman Allie Bieber, senior Jasmyn Enyart, junior Harli Holzwarth, senior Ayonna McKithen. Back row: Coach Amy Bieber, junior Michaela Dehli, junior Taya Duehr, freshman Hally Holzwarth. Submitted photo.
The Waukon Indian spirit is alive and well - very well, in fact, as the spreaders of that spirit, the Waukon Indian cheerleading team, proved to be among the best in the state of Iowa after claiming both a State Championship and a State Runner-Up finish in certain competitions at the 2017 Iowa Cheerleading Coaches’ Association State Championships held Saturday, November 4 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. The Waukon cheer squad claimed that State Championship in the Class 2A Stunt Group competition among nine squads, with its runner-up finish coming in the Class 2A Time Out competition out of 12 participating squads.
The competing squad members, all under the direction of Coach Amy Bieber, includes seniors Jasmyn Enyart and Ayonna McKithen, juniors Michaela Dehli, Taya Duehr and Harli Holzwarth, and freshmen Allie Bieber and Hally Holzwarth. The team has shown tremendous consistency as of late, claiming those same honors - first in Stunt and second in Time Out - in another cheerleading competition as well, the Triton Challenge at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge in late October.
The 2017 Iowa Cheerleading Coaches’ Association State Championships was recorded by Iowa Public Television. A broadcast date and time for the event have not been announced as of this publication date.
Prior to the Indians’ back-to-back weekends of competition, they were invited to Charles City to take part in a showcase event where they put their competition routines on display in front of six other schools Monday, October 23. “Mr. (Waukon High School Activities Director Brian) Hilsabeck gave us the OK because he thought it would be a great experience for the team,” Coach Bieber shared. “I wanted to attend this event to get all the nerves worked out before the real competition season started that Sunday.”
That showcase event allowed the girls to also see some firsthand cheerleading at the “next” level, as the University of Northern Iowa cheerleading squad was also in attendance at Charles City. The occasion offered Coach Bieber the rare opportunity to have both of her daughters performing at the same location despite one being in college, 2014 Waukon High School graduate Lexie Bieber being in her second season with the Panther cheerleading squad this year as a senior at the University of Northern, while her younger sister, Allie, is a freshman on this year’s Waukon squad. Lexie Bieber is also the assistant cheer coach for the Waukon squad.
“We were lucky enough to get to perform along with the UNI Cheerleaders in an exhibition showcase,” Coach Bieber said. “This was extra special to see as a coach - and as a mom. To see both my daughters perform at the same event was pretty special to me.”
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