Spirit Cheer: Preseason Rankings Released

AURORA – To celebrate the start of the fall sports and activities season, the Colorado High School Activities Association is publishing its preseason poll ranking the top spirit cheer programs you should keep an eye on this upcoming season. Below are the 10 spirit cheer programs you should keep an eye on in across all classifications.

Cheer in spirit is made up of the cheer, co-ed cheer, and gameday cheer disciplines.

Please know that CHSAA will ONLY be doing a preseason coaches poll and all fall sports and activities will be included. Throughout the season, CHSAA will publicize the Seedings Index as a weekly ranking for the sports that have a Seedings Index (field hockey, flag football, football, boys soccer, softball and girls volleyball). These rankings will go live once there are enough games played to populate a ranking (approx. week 3 or 4 for most sports).

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Also receiving votes: Vista Ridge, Cherry Creek, Valor Christian, Arapahoe, Fossil Ridge, Ponderosa, Highlands Ranch, Legacy, Horizon, Thunderridge, Arvada West, Riverdale Ridge, Pine Creek, Pueblo West, Bear Creek, Greeley West, Prairie View, Frederick, Broomfield, Heritage, Smoky Hill.

Last year’s 5A cheer runner-up, Douglas County, was voted the No. 1 5A spirit cheer program to watch this season. Erie, the reigining 4A cheer state champion, was voted as the No. 2 program, and is looking to make its mark on its new classification this season. Mountain Vista was voted the No. 3 program to watch, after finishing as a 5A cheer finalist last year and finishing in sixth place overall. Castle View lands down at No. 4, despite winning last year’s 5A co-ed cheer state championship. Legend is expected to make some waves this season, as it have climbed all the way up to being the No. 5 5A cheer program to watch after finishing 10th in last season’s 5A cheer state championship finals. A pair of 5A cheer finalists from a year ago, Rock Canyon and Chaparral, earned the No. 6 and No. 7 spots on the watchlist, respectively, after finishing fourth and third in last year’s 5A cheer finals. Eaglecrest came up just one spot shy of competing in those same finals, as it finished seventh in the 5A cheer semifinals a season ago. Cherokee Trail and Grandview round out the top-10 and also represent the last remaining 5A spirit cheer programs that made last years state championship finals. Cherokee Trail won the cheer state championship, while Grandview ultimately finished in fifth.

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Also receiving votes: Discovery Canyon, Severance, George Washington, Falcon, Montbello, Niwot, Denver North, Montrose, Lutheran, Grand Junction, Air Academy, Rifle, Pomona, Glenwood Springs, Palisade, Green Mountain, Adams City, Sand Creek, Widefield, Longmont, Pueblo County, Mead, Aurora Central, Thornton, Durango, Canon City, Thomas Jefferson, Silver Creek, Mountain View, Steamboat Springs, Eagle Valley, Conifer, Mesa Ridge, Regis Groff, Evergreen, Cheyenne Mountain, Standley Lake, Pueblo South, Wheat Ridge, Battle Mountain, Pueblo Centennial.

After finishing as the runner-up in the 4A cheer finals a season ago, Lewis-Palmer was voted the No. 1 spirit cheer program to watch for this upcoming season. Right behind Lewis-Palmer, Holy Family and Coal Ridge tied for the No. 2 spot. Coal Ridge is primed to make its 4A debut after winning last year’s 2A/3A gameday cheer state championship, while Holy Family finished just 1.3 points behind Lewis-Palmer at last season’s 4A cheer finals. The top-two 4A co-ed cheer programs from last year, Thompson Valley and Roosevelt, appear on the list at the No. 4 and No. 5 spots, respectively. Last year, Roosevelt won the 4A co-ed cheer state championship, while Thompson Valley finished in second place. The No. 6 4A spirit cheer program to watch, Timnath, is ready to make its debut in its new classification, after finishing sixth in last year’s 2A cheer semifinals. Windsor earns the No. 7 spot and is the last remaining 4A co-ed cheer finalist from a season ago to make its apperance on this list. Mullen was voted the No. 8 4A spirit cheer program to watch after finishing ninth at last year’s 4A cheer semi finals. Dakota Ridge and Grand Junction Central are the final programs to make the top-10 list. Dakota Ridge finished seventh last year in the 5A co-ed cheer semifinals, but is ready to take a big leap in a new classification. Meanwhile, Grand Junction Central finished seventh in the 4A co-ed cheer semifinals.

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Also receiving votes: Valley, D’Evelyn, Sterling, Montezuma-Cortez, Fort Lupton, Manitou Springs, Weld Central, Bayfield, Banning Lewis Academy, The Classical Academy, Arvada, Alamosa, Windsor Charter Academy, Gunnison, Middle Park, Elizabeth, Kennedy, Lamar, The Vanguard School, Manual, Platte Valley, Peak To Peak, DSST: Cedar, Centauri, Englewood, Pagosa Springs, Resurrection Christian, Alameda, Denver West, The Pinnacle, Bennett, Salida, Brush, Estes Park, Sierra, DSST: Green Valley Ranch.

Despite finishing sixth in last year’s 3A cheer semifinals, James Irwin was voted the top 3A spirit cheer program to watch this season. Highland, the defending 3A cheer state champions, earn the No. 2 spot, while Prospect Ridge Academy and Woodland Park, last season’s second and third-place finishers, respectively, round out the top-four 3A spirit cheer programs to watch this season. University earns the No. 5 spot after just barely missing out on a spot in last year’s 3A cheer finals, as it finished fifth in the 3A cheer semifinals. The Academy lands at No. 6 after finishing last season as the 3A/2A gameday cheer runner-up. Strasburg has already climbed to No. 6, after finishing last year’s 3A cheer semifinals in seventh. The No. 8 and No. 9 program, Eaton and Florence, were both 3A/2A gameday cheer finalists a season ago, with Eaton finishing in sixth ultimately, while Florence finished in third. Finally, Berthoud earns the final spot in the top-10, thanks to finishing last season as a 4A cheer finalist, and tying for fourth place in the finals.

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Also receiving votes: Bishop Machebeuf, Cheyenne Wells, Forge Christian, Byers, Ellicott, Trinidad, Monte Vista, St. Mary’s, Wiley, Rocky Ford, Las Animas, Simla, Skyview Academy, Lotus School for Excellence, Colorado Springs Christian, Yuma, Meeker, Crowley County.

After winning the last three 2A cheer state championships, it’s no surprise that Denver Christian claimed the top spot on this watchlist. Right after Denver Christian are last year’s second-place and third-place 2A cheer teams — Limon and Front Range Christian. Holly, is the first program on the list that didn’t finish last season as a 2A cheer finalist, as it finished seventh in the semifinals. Lyons is the first program to appear on the 2A rankings that competed in gameday cheer last year, ultimately finishing fourth in the 2A/3A gameday cheer finals. Cripple Creek-Victor is the last 2A cheer finalist from a season ago to make its apperance on this watchlist. Holyoke almost reached the 2A cheer finals a year ago, as it finished fifth in the semifinals, just 0.95 points from a spot in the finals. Gilpin County appears primed to make a big leap this year, as it lands at No. 8 despite finishing 13th at last year’s 2A/3A gameday cheer semifinals. Meanwhile, Swink lands just behind Gilpin County, at No. 9, despite finishing in 5th at last season’s 2A/3A gameday cheer finals. Lastly, Buena Vista was voted the No. 10 2A cheer team to watch despite not appearing at last year’s state championships.