The Richmond Hill High School Varsity Competition Cheerleaders qualified for the state cheerleading finals in Columbus last week by winning the region 3-AAA crown for the fourth year in a row. The team’s goals from day one were to be region champs and to garner a top six spot at finals. The routine started off strong with the squad’s exceptional tumbling, but struggled when two stunt groups came down early.

"The competition at the state level was very, very strong, so we knew we would have to hit a perfect routine in order to finish in the top six," said head coach Wendy Dauphinee. "Once those two stunts came down, we knew it was pretty much a done deal. The girls didn’t give up and did a great job of recovering and finished the rest of the routine to near perfection, but it wasn’t enough to place in the top six."

The GHSA state cheerleading champions in class triple AAA were Central-Carrollton with Columbus, Oconee County and Northside-Columbus rounding out the top four teams.

"I am so proud of everything we accomplished this year and I am especially proud of all the girls who put their hearts and souls into this sport. We are a bit disappointed with our finish at state and it’s always tough going out knowing you didn’t perform your best routine. That being said, we are region champions and one of the top 16 teams in the state which is pretty awesome," Dauphinee added.