Waimea Menehune cheer captures state crown

Waimea High School cheer squad became the first Neighbor Island group to win the Zippy’s Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Cheerleading State Championship, Sunday on O‘ahu.

Under the direction of coach Roxanne Cardejon, the Menehune squad piled up 317 points to capture the Medium Division title over the challenge of another Menehune squad, Moanalua High School, who finished  runner-up with 310 points.

The Mililani High School Trojans finished third with 302 points.

Medium Division squads have up to 10 people maximum on its squads.

There were a total of 13 teams competing in the Medium Division and three vying for the Large Division crowns.

Competing at the Stan Sheriff Center at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, Radford High School, six-time Medium Division champions, moved up to challenge four-time defending Large Division Champions Kamehameha-Kapalama before an audience of more than 1,600 people.

The Rams broke the Warriors’ four-time streak, adding its seventh consecutive win, this time in the Large Division, 11- to 18-person squads, collecting 294 points out of a possible 375 points.

Kamehameha settled in the runner-up berth in the Large Division with 267 points followed by Punahou in third at 226 points.

Waimea’s best showing at the HHSAA state cheerleading championships came in 2010-11 when the Menehune finished third in the Large Division.

Moanalua, the runner-up in the Medium Division, won the Large Division title in 2002-03 under Sherrie Faldo.

The Menehune of Moanalua followed that with a Medium Division crown in 2003-04, also under Faldo, and repeated as Medium Division champions in 2004-05 under Tammie Picklesimer.

Prior to that, the only other showing by a Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation squad was in 2004-05 when the Kaua‘i Red Raiders finished third in the Large Division.

The Menehune arrived home late Sunday night.