Europe
VIDEO, PHOTOSPatch, Ansbach, Alconbury capture cheer titles
Stars and Stripes February 22, 2015
After supporting their basketball teams all season and through three days at the DODDS-Europe basketball championships, the spotlight was on the cheer squads Saturday morning at the Clay Kaserne fitness center in Wiesbaden, Germany.
Twenty-one teams competed in three divisions, and when it all was over Patch, Ansbach – for the fourth straight year – and Alconbury came out on top of their respective divisions.
For one team, Incirlik, the DODDS-Europe Cheer Competition almost didn’t happen. The Hodjas got stuck in a snowstorm and didn’t arrive until late Friday. Too late to support their team, but in time to whirl through their routine Saturday morning.
For Menwith Hill, this year’s D-III runner-up and “Spirit” award winner, it was their final competition. The school is closing at the end of the school year.
Each team put on a 2½-minute routine before judges and supporters at the fitness center and were also rated on their performances at tournament games. In addition to selecting the top teams, judges named all-tournament squads.
Division I 1. Patch, 2. Naples, 3. Ramstein. Spirit award: LakenheathAll-Tournament Sara Clark, Kaiserslautern; Madalyn Clouse, Lanenheath; Marica Staten, Emma Hatch, Naples; Sydnee Ramsey, Kamryn Korth, Patch; Renee Bradley, Tori Kostos, Ramstein; Justin Raikes, SHAPE; Taylor Cox, Vilseck; Eric Arnold, Wiesbaden; Jessica Thomas, Vicenza.
Division II 1. Ansbach, 2. Aviano, 3. Hohenfels. Spirit award: RotaAll-Tournament Maurie Mueller, Molly Riebling, AFNORTH; Clarissa Paniagua, Hannah Shedden, Bailey Ward, Ansbach; Cody Price, Ellie Prewitt, Aviano; Sami Wade, Bitburg; Asia Reyes, Francesca Santos, Nadya Sterling, Jake Anderson, Rota.
Division III 1. Alconbury, 2. Menwith Hill, 3. Sigonella . Spirit award: Menwith HillAll-Tournament Isabel Black, Joely Womack Alconbury; Hannah Honey, Baumholder; Charissa Slater, Incirlik; Adrienne Abagyar, Andrew Potter, Menwith Hill; Haley Lehtola, Mackenzie Taylor, Sigonella.