AP Photo These Minot High cheerleaders are all smiles after earning first place in the Game Day event, which was held at the North Dakota Cheer Coach Association State Tournament on Saturday. Front row left to right: Dakotah Harvey, Zoe Schumann, Macee Barber, Taylor Garaas, Shay Green, Solana Gautschi, Emily Greathouse. Back row left to right: Jennaya Coucoules, Kaylyn MacIver, Lauren Allen, Bella Howard, Natalie Cook, Dylan Allen (Captain), Julia Putt.

On Saturday, the Minot High School Gold Stunt Team, led by head coach Sarah Seney and assistant coach Vytalli Klimpel, competed in the 2020 state cheerleading competition. Based on their success at state, it is apparent that Minot made the most of the opportunity.

As part of the North Dakota Cheer Coach Association, the semi virtual event was held at Fargo North High School. At the tournament, the squad from Minot won first place in the Game Day event, scoring a team total of 116 points. It was the first time in which the Game Day routine was featured as part of the statewide competition.

For this particular event, teams were judged on leadership skills, overall spirit and game chants, along with best school song or band dance. The Game Day competition was modeled after a national Universal Cheerleaders Association event that requires teams to respond to an announcer in a simulated athletic contest scenario.

In addition to their exploits in the Game Day category, MHS placed second behind Dickinson in the Cheer and Dance routine with a score of 216, and in the Stunt Group event, it was Minot who took home bronze among a field of 11 teams with a point total of 85. Individually, Minot upperclassmen Dylan Allen and Zoe Schumann received the NDCCA Senior Honor Award for their dedication and school spirit. Meanwhile, the association’s team scholar award was also presented to the Minot High School Cheer Team, who accounted for a composite grade-point average of 3.56.