Hawk cheerleaders enjoy grand surprise at state meet

HOUSTON — More often than not, the Houston Hawks are typically the underdogs.

Houston High is the smallest school in the state’s 4A class, and despite a population of just more than 400 students, the Hawks compete against schools with a student body two and sometimes three times their size.

In sports such as basketball, soccer, hockey and volleyball, the Hawks make the best of life with small rosters and a short bench. It’s difficult to compete with the big schools, but one of Houston’s teams recently showed it’s not impossible.

Last month, the Houston Hawks cheerleading team was named the grand champion of the 2010 March Madness Alaska State Cheerleading Competition at Dimond High School in Anchorage.

“I was shocked,” Houston third-year head coach Amanda Payan said.

Houston was also named the top team in the small squad non-building division, and Payan thought that would be the highlight of the night for her Hawks. During the announcement of the winner of the grand champion, Payan was actually texting her parents that the Hawks finished first in the small squad division. Payan thought she heard her team called.

As it turned out, Payan was right.

“They just blew everyone away,” Payan said of her team. “Everyone was pretty impressed.”

Houston certainly entered the state championships as an underdog. Houston brought only five cheerleaders — freshmen Arianna Hansen, Lashawna Lee and Brandy Malidore, and sophomores Alexa Mendorgin and Anessa Katzenberger — and the Hawks were classified as a non-stunting team.

Non-stunting means no big pyramids, no tossing cheerleaders into the air. Instead, the Hawks focused on aspects of the competition such as formation, timing and execution. And the Hawks were a hit.

“It’s absolutely huge for the school,” said Payan, a graduate of Houston High. “Talking with the directors, they’ve never seen a non-stunt team take a grand championship away from all the teams that stunted.”

With no massive pyramids or high-flying tosses, Payan said her athletes wowed the judges with their precession and execution.

“It’s all technical, very, very technical,” Payan said. “That’s what I love about my kids, they move as one. You can’t tell them apart, everyone moves at the same time.”

In her three years as the head coach of the program, Payan has seen significant improvements. Participation and interest have improved.

“Honestly, we’ve earned the respect of the kids at the school, the rest of the sports teams, especially basketball,” Payan said.

Payan said her athletes’ efforts are helping to erase a common misconception about what kind of work is required to compete at a high level.

“It’s phenomenal for the girls. They work their butts off,” Payan said.

Payan estimates her cheerleaders run between eight and 10 miles per week, lift weights and handle three-hour practices.

“My program’s not easy,” Payan said. “The kids at school, the majority of our staff know I am a strict coach.”

Houston activities director Norm Bouchard said that’s among the reasons why Payan has earned the respect of all the other coaches at Houston High.

“She’s the epitome of a tough love coach,” Bouchard said. “She understands what coaching is and motivates kids well. She’s done a great job. Other coaches take her seriously because she takes her program seriously.”

Bouchard said everyone is thrilled about Payan’s team, which now joins the boys basketball and hockey team as Houston squads to have won a state championship.

“We’ll put a banner up in the gym with honor,” Bouchard said.

2010 March Madness Alaska State Cheerleading Competition

March 13, Dimond High School

Grand Champion — Houston High School

All-girl five-person stunt group — 1. Dimond, 2. North Pole; Coed five-person stunt group — 1. Chugiak; Small squad non-building — 1. Houston, 2. Kotzebue; Mediaum squad non-building — 1. Barrow, 2. Skyview; Coed squad non-building — 1. Bethel, 2. Hutchison; Small squad building — 1. Ketchikan, 2. Thunder Mountain; Medium squad building — 1. Dimond, 2. Lathrop; Large school building — 1. North Pole, 2. Mt. Edgecumbe; Small squad coed building — 1. Service, 2. Valdez; Medium squad building — 1. Juneau-Douglas, 2. Colony; Coed competition squad — 1. Chugiak, 2. Barrow.

Top-10 individuals — Brittani Nardini, Colony; Shynell Dizon, Dimond; Hannah Toohey, Chugiak; Matt Coffer, Chugiak; Midred Rogers, North Pole; A’via Phillips, West; Arianna Hansen, Houston; Kelly Kobus, Palmer; Shayla Romans, Lathrop; Rebecca Egan, Skyview.

4A All-Tournament team — Taylor Daniels, Juneau; Rizza Soriano, Juneau; Robert Jones, Bartlett; Colby Nore, Juneau; Oreanna Powell, Colony; Kelsey Hall, Dimond; Ryanne Rodland, Colony; Amarin Ellis, West; Jordin Barton, Colony; Kyra Uddipa, Juneau; Brittani Nardini, Colony; A’via Phillips, West.