RCHS cheer team overcomes obstacles and wins state
The Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) cheer team in a pyramid at the end of their routine at the CHSAA Colorado State Spirit Championship in December.
By Lisa Nicklanovich; photo courtesy of Dawn Seymour Photography
The Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) cheer team won the All Girl 5A Cheer division for the third time in four years. Previous wins were in 2013 and 2014. Thirty-three teams competed and only six moved on to finals for 5A All Girl teams.
Coached by Amanda Mundaca and Nicole Gambatese, the team has four seniors, 10 juniors, two sophomores and four freshmen. The girls tried out for cheer in May, attended UCA summer cheer camp and worked very hard toward perfecting their routine to win state. They competed in several other competitions throughout the fall and cheered at football, soccer, volleyball and basketball games.
Taylor Desmond, Castle Pines resident, senior and captain said, “It was honestly the best feeling in the world to win state. We’ve worked hard all season and for it all to pay off was amazing. We ran into many obstacles throughout the year, beginning with losing 14 seniors and having to build new relationships, but we are closer and stronger than ever. To overcome the odds and then win state, made it all worth it. I’m so glad that we were able to create this memory, and it’s the perfect way to leave knowing that we get to leave a mark on the school when we’re gone!”
