Bremerton, Bainbridge finish 1st and 2nd in state cheerleading

At the state championship battleground, Kitsap cheerleaders “bring it on.”

The Bremerton and Bainbridge high school cheerleading squads set records at the state championship at Battle Ground High School Jan. 24, placing first and second respectively in the 1A/2A non-tumbling small category.

“The performance went really well and my favorite part was all of the stunts hitting! We really wanted to put out an elevated routine to honor our seniors as it was their last year to hit the mat,” said Nicholas Knight of Bainbridge, who with twin brother Matthew are the only boys on the team. “We learned from our mistakes last year and also drew on our strengths. Our seniors were incredible leaders and pushed us every practice.”

For Bainbridge, this is the highest the cheer team has ever placed in a competition, but for Bremerton, this is a triumphant return to the top of the podium. Last year, the Knights placed first in the same category, making the cheer squad the first Bremerton athletes to win back-to-back state championships since 1973, said coach Jennifer Owens.

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“In Washington, cheer is pretty dominated by large schools, so when a smaller class gets in the championships, it’s a big deal because we don’t have as much talent coming through due to our smaller enrollment,” Owens said. “I’m very proud of the growth in Kitsap. Almost everyone made it.”

A higher qualifying margin for the 2024-25 state competition made the meet more challenging this year. This is the third time in nearly 20 years that Bainbridge cheer has qualified for the state championships, but Bremerton has consistently appeared on the mat. In the past two years, all the cheer teams in Kitsap have started to form “an alliance,” Owens explained, which has helped boost morale and community amongst the athletes.

“When a fellow Kitsap school was competing, you’d see all the other schools’ cheerleaders out on the mat with them, clapping and cheering along with everyone. With local schools, people are supportive,” Owens said. “I hope to build on energy year over year. We collaborate, bounce ideas off each other, and an extra set of eyes can catch stuff that you may not have seen.”

Cheer routines are high-energy choreographed performances that often include elements of dance, gymnastics and audience engagement. They often employ props like pom-poms, megaphones, or other emblems of school spirit. It can take hours of practice to perfect a two-minute performance.

“We were all very excited and ready to compete. The team felt confident in the routine, but we still had a little bit of nerves. My favorite part of the routine is the pyramid. It is a time that the entire team has to work together for one common goal. The pyramid is a visual of team unity,” Matthew Knight said. “The entire team was extremely committed to improving the placement from last year. We focused on what worked from the last year and then challenged ourselves to do harder skills.”

The stunts are fun, but the camaraderie and drive to succeed is what keeps cheerers coming back, the Knight twins explained.

“I feel that first place is something we are capable of accomplishing next year,” Nicholas Knight said.

Matthew added, “That would be a great goal to have, but our main goal is to improve from the previous year and to continue to work hard on being a strong community and family of athletes.”

Jennifer Owens courtesy photo
The Bremerton cheer squad poses before competing at the state championships Jan. 24.

Jennifer Owens courtesy photo The Bremerton cheer squad poses before competing at the state championships Jan. 24.

Darienne Schoonmaker courtesy photo
The BHS cheer team celebrates its second-place finish at the WIAA competition, the highest award the team has won in school history.

Darienne Schoonmaker courtesy photo The BHS cheer team celebrates its second-place finish at the WIAA competition, the highest award the team has won in school history.