HANCEVILLE- Sparkman High won the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) Co-Ed Cheer State Championship at the annual State Cheer Championships at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville.

“The squad waited eight hours to compete and they performed very well and I’m so proud of these great student-athletes,” said Lisa Aderholt, Sparkman cheer coach.

“The key to our team today was staying calm, especially after a long day,” said Nikki Ahlf, senior squad co-captain.

Overall, nine state champions were crowned as the state’s best with one in each of the seven classifications of the AHSAA and one champion each in the Co-Ed and Non-Build divisions. For Sparkman, the Senators have won the Co-Ed division each year the division has been held since 1991. Winning has become a tradition at the Class 7A school in Harvest.

Three boys are among the 20-member squad that is known to be a perfectionist. As a squad, they are always looking to improve and correlate that work ethic to the next competition. The knowledge of always looking to be better is something that has become part of the culture at Sparkman and keeps each squad well-rounded with self-confidence.

“We are our biggest competition,” said Aderholt. “We feel if we do our routine to our best, we’ll have a good chance to win any competition.”

Aderholt added why the squad always seems to be ahead of its competition. She said, “Our level of difficulty of our routines is higher and we move at a faster pace. Our athletes know they have to learn elite and higher skilled stunts.”

The Senators’ squad has nine seniors among its roster who are known as good leaders with elite talents and always on the move. Senior co-captain Ariel Cunningham said, “We know we have a lot to work on and improve, but we are proud of how we did at State. It was a long day, but our team knows that our strength comes from God.”

“These are hard-working, good Christian kids and if I tell them they can’t do something, they show me otherwise,” said Aderholt.

The next three months the squad will prepare its routine with exact mental and physical perfection for the 2018 National Championships scheduled for Feb. 11-12 in Orlando, Fla. at the Wild World of Sports complex at Disney World. The Senators will compete in the small Co-Ed division.

“We have confidence in each other and in our Lord,” said Ahlf. “That’s all we need to succeed no matter what happens on the mat.”

The 2017-2018 Senators are comprised of seniors Nikki Ahlf (Co-Captain), Caitlin Callahan, Maddie Cardamone, Ariel Cunningham (Co-Captain), Anna Hall (Co-Captain), Matthew Houston, Hannah Ingram (Co-Captain), Aubrey Sales (Co-Captain) and Cassie Thompson (Co-Captain). Juniors Eric Bullard, Alexxandria Burnette, Abbi Johnson, Madison Kuykendall, Carolyn Scruggs-Webster, Sarah Sipes and Carly Turvin. Sophomores Amari Johnson and LaTana Sparrow. Freshman, Laura Damewood and Jake Johnson.