By Emily Holdaway
Special to Independent Newsmedia

Valley Vista High School’s spiritline will compete in nationals in Anaheim, Calif. March 24-26 after winning the overall state championship in January.

The spiritline had the theme of stronger this year, and has lived up to it.

On Jan. 14, the spiritline won overall Arizona state champions, with the pom line finishing first in their category.

Coach Amy Crow, top row far left, and the Valley Vista spiritline celebrate winning the state championship in January.

“It’s a good way to end the season. It’s something we put a lot of work into, and so knowing that hard work paid off is a good feeling,” says Madi Mata, a senior and captain of two years for the high school’s pom line.

Mata said she hopes to continue her spiritline career at Texas Tech, and has her last audition in May. This is her third year being in the pom line. She was a cheerleader her freshmen year, but then realized that she had more of a passion for dance, and switched to pom. Amy Crow, the head coach for the pom line, has been coaching for 11 years. She took over and started spiritline for Valley Vista in 2006.

She said she loves working with students and seeing them grow into amazing young women.

Trisha Brown, the head coach for Valley Vista’s cheer, just started leading varsity cheer this year. However she is no stranger to cheerleading. She has been involved in the sport since 1993.

“Back then it wasn’t considered a sport, and I wanted to help people see cheer as a sport ... There also wasn’t a lot of co-ed, so I wanted to establish co-ed, and so I did. Now I am coming back into education after being out for 15 years, and I decided it was time to get back into cheer. I just love it, I love working with the athletes,” Coach Brown said.

Dallas Delay is a senior and has been a part of cheer for all four years of high school. She has ben cheering since she was 7 years old.

Delay plans on attending NAU in the fall. She hopes that the spiritline will continue to thrive.

“I think it’s coming back, it kind of went down for a bit, but definitely it’s coming back up,” she said.

In addition to practicing four days a week to get their performance just right, the spiritline sets an example for their fellow classmates. They participate in the sparkle program, which is a program for special needs students.

The spiritline welcomes future Monsoon students to learn from the varsity.

“Each athlete that’s in the spiritline program is a definite role model on campus. We do have to maintain good grades, a lot of us are involved in multiple clubs on campus. Being involved and getting the school involved is part of what we are as a spiritline,” Ms. Mata said.

Editor’s Note: Emily Holdaway is a student intern from Arizona Charter Academy.