MARIPOSA COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL’S GRIZZLY CHEERLEADERS PLACED FOURTH AT A REGIONAL COMPETITION IN STOCKTON. THEY WILL NOW COMPETE AT NATIONALS MARCH 26 THROUGH 28. PHOTO COURTESY OF KRISTIE MITCHELL The Mariposa County High School Grizzly cheer squad really has something to cheer about these days. After placing in the top four in a regional competition in Stockton, the girls will vie for a championship at the national level at the end of this month.

Until then, it’s practice, practice, practice. Advisor Kristie Mitchell said the team practices two hours a day after school and is now adding weekends as the competition approaches.

And this is not just run of the mill cheering. The girls’ routines are full of difficult stunts and tricky dance moves. Mitchell said the competition season is a “different world” from cheering their team on during football season. “At games it’s about school spirit and community pride,” she said. “That’s the easy, fun part.”

THE MARIPOSA COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL CHEERLEADERS PARTICIPATING IN NATIONAL COMPETITION AT THE END OF THIS MONTH ARE PICTURED, FRONT ROW, FROM LEFT, SAMANTHA ALLEN, DANIELLE WARDLE, BRITTANY GROGAN, MEGAN HOOPER, SUMMER STREET, SHELBY PETERS AND SAMANTHA DUBUQUE; AND BACK ROW, FROM LEFT, SHELLBY KOUTSOUBOS, AMBER LUNDIN-HARTGRAVES AND KATIE WARDLE. NOT PICTURED IS SYDNEY BROWN. PHOTO COURTESY OF KRISTIE MITCHELL Now that they are preparing for competition, things are a little more focused. “Competition is super intense,” Mitchell said. She said while there is a lot of respect between teams based on skills, it is still “very stressful.”

The cheer squad doesn’t have a specific season. In fact, their tenure lasts nearly a full year. They start in May when the squad for the following year is chosen. The girls practice all summer, and begin cheering when football season starts.

Right after football season, the girls transition into competition season, which ends in late March. April is the only calendar month that Mitchell does not have a squad preparing for something.

The cost of the trip to nationals is about $2,200, which has to be raised by the cheerleaders. Anyone interested in helping support their effort can contact Mitchell at 742- 0260, extension 234 or mail a contribution to her at P.O. Box 127, Mariposa, CA 95338.