Nothing to cheer about: Tough day at Metros

ALBUQUERQUE – It was a rough day for both the Storm and the Rams spirit squads as they finished near the bottom of the pack at the APS Metro Championships held at Cibola High School Jan. 18.

The competition consisted of two categories: Dance and Cheer.

Hobbs won the dance side of the tournament handily with a stunning performance that helped them edge out 2nd-place West Mesa.

The Eldorado Eagles won the cheer competition after a nearly flawless performance had the crowd at peak excitement for the day. The Eagles beat 2nd-place La Cueva by more than 12 points.

In cheer, CHS finished 12th and RRHS came in 13th. Both teams were hit with costly 10-point deductions, but it wouldn’t have affected the result as both teams finished more than 10 points below the 11th-place team, Cibola.

In dance, CHS finished 13th and RRHS finished 8th, the highest finish of any Rio Rancho group. Cleveland dance took a 10-point deduction as well. Without the penalty, they would’ve moved up from 13th to 12th.

“It just was not our day here in Rio,” said Cleveland head coach Maddison Weaver.

Both the Rams and the Storm have had to overcome numerous obstacles this year including injuries, suspensions and staffing changes. Coach Weaver says she has no doubt her squad can rebound quickly and overcome this obstacle as well.

The Rams and the Storm will get their chance at redemption Mar. 21-22 at the NMAA Spirit State taking place at the Pit. Last year, the Rams came up just short of the title in class 5A, finishing in 2nd, behind La Cueva. The Storm have been waiting all year for the State Championship after finishing in last place in 2024.

For more information on the State Championship, visit nmact.org, or stay tuned to rrobserver.com.