Another strong season on the cheer mats yielded more feathers in the caps of local spirit programs at Mancos and Montezuma-Cortez, as each team earned an all-state selection from their performance at the state cheerleading finals in mid-December.
Panthers senior Shayda Clark closed out her high school career with an honorable mention selection for Class 3A, helping M-CHS advance to another state appearance in the 2A/3A Game Day competition. The state appearance came after the Panthers took down the regional title this fall to make a return trip to the Denver Coliseum floor. Clark’s cheer days aren’t over, however, as the senior recently inked her intent to cheer for Montana State University-Billings next year.
After her four-year stint working with M-CHS head coach Emily Baumgartner, Clark looks forward to continuing her competitive cheer for the Yellowjacket Co-Ed Cheer and Stunt team, while planning to study radiology this fall.
For Mancos, junior Elly Coey landed on the 2A honorable mention team for her guidance of the Bluejays 2A/3A Co-Ed cheer performance. After helping the Jays to regional titles in the 2A Game Day and Co-Ed divisions, Coey and her spirited group claimed fifth in the state championships under head coach Megan Daves-Warner.
The awards are the second straight all-state selections for their respective programs, as both Mancos and M-CHS earned all-state performers in 2023.
