On Saturday, the 18th, the MHS varsity cheerleaders competed at the Heartland Championships in Ankeny for the first time. They were up against two strong teams and were able to bring home the gold! The cheerleaders put all of their efforts into their routine and represented the Marion community with strong character and sportsmanship. They also took home the star award for Motion Technique!
On Sunday, the 19th, the squad competed at Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School. The team won first in the 3A game time spirit, beating WaMaC foe Independence, who has always been a very strong competitor. The girls won the award for People's Choice favorite routine, and the stunt group consisting of Taylor Davis (Flyer), Cassidy Reasor (Main Base), Shantel King (Secondary Base), and Lilah Hernandez (Back Base) won the lib off. A lib is a stunt where the flyer stands on one leg and pulls the other to a tabletop position. The team that holds theirs the longest wins. The stunt group beat out several high school groups, including a group with two male bases and a college group, by holding their lib for 1:32! The girls were almost more excited to win the lib off than the actual competition. 
At the end of the day, Marion learned that they had won Grand Champs, earning the highest score of the competition. Marion outcompeted Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Cedar Rapids Washington, Cedar Rapids Prairie, Linn-Mar, Iowa City Liberty, Independence, CPU, and more. It is almost unheard of for a Game Time team to win Grand Champs against Cheer Dance teams. We are extremely proud of our cheer squad and coaches Emily Palmer and Laine Dunne, and look forward to watching them compete for the rest of the school year.