BY SAPNA PATHAK

It happens at the beginning of every winter spirit season; it doesn’t count in the final standings; participation is optional to prevent any early season injuries; and it allows other teams to see what you’ll bring to the state championship meet.

But, it’s the one competition Granite State cheerleaders look forward to most.

This year’s annual Kiwanis cheer competition once again drew teams from across the state. On Saturday, Jan. 20, hundreds of cheerleaders took over Southern New Hampshire University’s
athletic complex.

Hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Manchester, the competition included 28 teams from Class L, I and M/S in front of a packed house.

While teams showed up with different music, routines and cheers, all could agree on the one thing that sets Kiwanis apart from any other cheer competition.

“The lights,” said former Salem cheerleader Danielle Cook, who cheered for the 2006 Blue Devils, last year’s Class L Kiwanis champions. “I love the lights because they make you feel like a superstar. You can’t see anyone except the judges and your coach, and it’s so much less nerve-wracking when you can’t see the audience.”

Salem repeated as Class L champs with 179.5 points. The Blue Devils, the fall spirit champions after knocking off powerhouse Pinkerton Academy, continued their success at Kiwanis; the win marked the fourth time in seven years Salem has taken home top honors at the competition.

Pelham’s head coach, Michelle Parisi, agreed with Cook in part, saying the atmosphere created by the competition’s lighting makes the night more memorable.

“This is to get away and have a good time [before preparing for states],” said Parisi. “It’s more fun, but you’re more anxious because the lights are on you and make you feel like a real entertainer.”
Parisi’s Pythons fell from the top of the Class I Kiwanis mountain. They took second, behind rival Pembroke Academy, with 146.5 points. Pelham and PA have dominated Kiwanis’ top spot since 2000, when the Spartans placed first three consecutive years before the Pythons took the title in 2003, 2005 and 2006.

While the NHIAA winter spirit competition won’t take place until Sunday, Feb. 25, Parisi said teams come into Kiwanis just as hungry to win.

“We put a bit more pressure on ourselves because we want to win so badly,” said Parisi after her team’s performance. “We have five seniors, and this is the best team I’ve ever had. Plus it’s my last year, so there was a lot of stuff riding on us winning here again. We could’ve taken first if we hadn’t fallen on that one stunt, but we still put on a show.”