ROTA shows off its winning Division II routine at the DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
ROTA shows off its winning Division II routine at the DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
AOSR senior Serena Otto cheers with her team at the DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Members of AFNORTH's cheer squad compete at the DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Alconbury's Kiarra Jobe, left, and Mia Cabugao get a lift during the DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Sigonella cheer members kick their legs up in the air as part of their winning Division III routine at the DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Hohenfels' senior Hailee Mezzacapo works a cheer move with her team during the DODEA Europe cheerleading championships on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in Wiesbaden, Germany. Hohenfels finished third in Division III. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Brussels' cheer squad members compete at the DODEA cheerleading championships on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Spangdahlem sophomore Karliyah Manigault holds up a prop during competition on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, at the DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships in Wiesbaden, Germany. Spangdahlem finished in second in Division III. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Baumholder's cheer team competed in Division III at the DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
The SHAPE cheer squad works as a team during the DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Aviano's Alyza Ablang shows some spunk during the DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in Wiesbaden, Germany. Aviano was second in Division 11. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Aviano's Natalia Rodriguez-Sorillo gives the crowd a big smile during the DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in Wiesbaden, Germany. Aviano was second in Division II. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza cheerleaders danced as part of their routine at the DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Members of Wiesbaden's cheer squadron put on a balancing act during the DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in Wiesbaden, Germany. The Warriors finished second in Division I. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Vilseck's cheer squad put on an animated performance at the DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Naples competed as a Division I team at the DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Lakenheath cheerleaders show a lot of facial expression during their performance at the DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Ramstein cheerleaders shout out during their routine at the DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in Wiesbaden, Germany. The Royals placed third in Division I. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Kaiserslautern earned the Division I Spirit Award at the DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Stuttgart cheerleaders celebrate their Division I win at the DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
WIESBADEN, Germany — The noise in the Clay Kaserne Fitness Center Saturday morning was deafening - and championship basketball was still hours away.
The sound of the early-bird crowd at times was roused to a fever pitch by the athletic and spirited displays put on by the 19 cheer squads competing in DODEA-Europe’s annual cheerleading championships.
With routines that included high-flying pony tails, running back flips, and pyramids that mostly held steady, there was rarely a dull moment in a competition combining stunts, dance and cheer.
The judges crowned two new champions – Stuttgart in Division I and Sigonella in Division III – while Division II perennial winner Rota held on to the top spot for the fourth year in a row.
The victory was bittersweet for the Admirals: Longtime cheer coach Ruthanne Bloyd is retiring, capping a 17-year coaching career at Rota that garnered 11 cheer titles.
“There’s no better way to go out,” a teary-eyed Bloyd said while celebrating with her squad. “This is fantastic for the kids. I can’t imagine ending it with a different group.”
Bloyd said teamwork and commitment was key to Rota’s enduring success.
That team mentality sparked Rota’s victory on the mat, said senior Megan Shaw. “You have to work together,” she said.
“It’s a whole domino effect,” added Savanna Matteson, a Rota junior. If one little thing goes wrong, “everything will come down.”
This year’s competition was particularly close, said Leslie Atkins, the cheer tournament director.
“There weren’t any teams that were way out on top or way down at the bottom,” she said.
Atkins said she saw skills on par with those one might see at a national-level cheer competition.
But level of difficulty in stunts is not the sole criteria judges use in scoring. Execution is also important, Atkins said.
“We don’t want people throwing tricks they can’t safely do,” she said. “We have people who have never cheered before who join these teams.”
Other scoring elements include creativity and how well a squad’s cheer engaged the crowd. “Is it crowd effective? Not just ‘was it cool?’,” Atkins said.
For Stuttgart, the win was its first since 2015, when the school was called Patch. Wiesbaden, runner-up in Division I, had held the title for the last three years.
Sigonella, Division III champions in 2017, climbed back on top after finishing third last year.
“I’m so proud of this team, oh my gosh,” gushed Sigonella senior captain Natasha Estes. “The season was really, really hard for us.”
Division I 1.Stuttgart, 2. Wiesbaden, 3. RamsteinDivision II 1.ROTA, 2. Aviano, 3. AOSRDivision III 1.Sigonella, 2. Spangdahlem, 3. HohenfelsSpirit Award Division I - Kaiserslautern, Division II - ROTA, Division III - SpangdahlemAll Tournament Division I Joshua Blake, Wiesbaden; Annie Fees, Kaydi Brechler and Emma Swofford, Vilseck; Kaiah Hicks, Vicenza; Samantha Sonka, Ramstein; Lily Ekern, Jaeleen Peterson and Tayt Albert, Kaiserslautern; Lindsey Simmons, SHAPE; Emma Lane, Stuttgart; Kylee Davis, Lakenheath.Division II Trinity Saenz, Talitha Island and Madison Collins, Aviano; Morgan Field and Faith Skariah, AFNorth; Savanna Matteson and Alicia Tate, ROTA; Sophia Notarianni, AOSR.Division III Mia Cabugao and Alyssa Beighle, Alconbury; Grace Pedigo, Baumholder; Lily Flint and Camryn Young Morales, Spangdahlem; Natasha Estes, Sigonella; Anthony Gogue, Hohenfels; Paris Rogers, Brussels.
svan.jennifer@stripes.com Twitter: @stripesktown
