BY SAPNA PATHAK

In her first year leading Concord High’s spirit squad, Janice Nichols learned one thing: Class L competition is intense.

Competing at this year’s NHIAA Spirit championships, the Crimson Tide took ninth with 149.0 points. Though Nichols wanted to finish in the top five, she said the top-10 placing would serve as a learning experience.

“We would’ve placed fourth, but we lost 15 safety points,” said Nichols. “We thought we fixed something after Kiwanis, but I guess there was a misunderstanding and we didn’t fix it. It’s frustrating because you work so hard and to lose that many points ...”

Nichols admitted safety judges score hardest because teams have ample time to correct any violations in their routines. The Crimson Tide performed the same routine at this year’s annual Kiwanis cheerleading competition a little more than one month earlier.

Since the fall season, Nichols added eight new members to her squad, including six freshmen and one senior who made her first appearance on the varsity squad. Nichols will lose four senior captains who helped the new mentor in her first year.

“We had a huge dinner the night before states,” said Nichols. “The fall season had some bumps, but winter has just been phenomenal. I don’t know how I’m going to replace my seniors. They made this season so smooth.”

Also competing at the state competition, which took place at the University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore Center, were the cheer squads from Bow High, Hopkinton High and Bishop Brady.

The Falcons competed in the Class I division, placing 13th with 135.5 points; Bishop Brady finished with 154.5 points, good for fourth place. The Hawks brought their co-ed cheer team and took home sixth place with 98.0 points, while Bishop Brady’s co-ed club finished fifth with 99.0 points.