Finishing the competitive season better than ever before, the Varsity Cheerleaders took 4th at state last Sunday, Sept. 15.

“State was really exciting,” Zia Zagarri, varsity cheerleading captain, said. “There was a lot of adrenaline.”

The competition took place at the University of Missouri at the basketball stadium Sunday, Sept. 15.

“We competed on the court with blue mats on the floor,” Zagarri said. “There were judges on every side of the court.”

Eight teams competed at state:

• Lindbergh took sixth
• Waynesville took fifth
• EHS ties with Francis Howell for fourth, Parkway South took third
• Northwest took second
• Liberty tied with Marquette for first.

“The cheerleaders light up when they perform,” Mrs. Lindsey Mueller, varsity cheerleading coach, said.

The team still hasn’t received their score sheets, so they don’t yet know the reasons points were deducted from their routine, according to Claire Jensen, varsity cheerleader.

The routine performed was three minutes in length, the sum of two minutes of music and one minute of cheer.

“The cheerleaders worked hard this year,” Coach Mueller said. “There were some last-minute changes at state, but they did their routine the best they’ve ever done it. We trained hard this summer”

Before performing at state, some of the cheerleaders underwent changes in their positions for their routine.

“Our program keeps growing every year,” Coach Mueller said. “Each year we get girls who are better and have a bigger hunger to compete. There are more girls with better and more advanced skills like tumbling that are willing to work harder.”

There are currently 24 girls on the squad, as opposed to 22 two years ago, the first year the cheerleaders took part in competitions in recent history.

“Since we’ve started competing, I’ve noticed an increase in the girls strength and tumbling and stunting ability,” Coach Mueller said.

State was almost a month earlier than previous years, probably due to Mizzou’s football schedule, according to Coach Mueller.

“We did better than we did last year,” Jessica Brickman, varsity cheerleader, said. “It’s exciting to improve.”

Last year the cheerleaders came in eighth at state.

“We wanted to make Kathleen [Oliver, former captain] proud,” Brickman said.

The squad lost Oliver, one of their captains, last month in a car accident.

“We’ve had a lot of support from different schools,” Coach Mueller said. “It’s really helped the girls.”

Marquette cheerleaders wore shirts proclaiming “We stand with Eureka.”

Individuals teammates grew together into a team.

“This year we have become a lot closer,” Claire Jensen said. “We’ve pulled together after everything that has happened, and we’re there for each other.”