LOWER LAKE >> They’ve received a lot of publicity for their exploits and many successes, but this Lower Lake High School sports team remains one of the area’s best-kept secrets.
Nope, they don’t work with a ball and nope, they’re not the Trojans’ highly decorated wrestling squad. However, they are among the most disciplined, coordinated athletes you will ever see in action. The Lower Lake competitive cheer squad is the real deal and the guiding force behind the team’s rise to prominence is head coach Angie Wade, who is the Lake County Record-Bee’s Coach of the Year for girls sports.
Competitive cheer officially joined the ranks of CIF-sanctioned sports during the 2017-18 season and the Trojans made the most of it. Their co-ed squad – 10 girls and one boy – trained and trained and trained to prepare themselves for the competitions that would elevate them to among the best competitive cheers squads in the region.
Among the squad’s considerable accomplishments in 2017-18 were:
— A fourth-place finish Nov. 11 in Sacramento, which was high enough to qualify Lower Lake for both the CIF-sanctioned state championships and national championships.
— A first-place finish Dec. 2 at the Cow Palace in San Francisco.
— A fourth-place finish Feb. 3 during the CIF State Championships in Bakersfield.
— A perfect routine on Feb. 23 during day one of the JAMZ Nationals in Las Vegas. The Trojans entered day two tied for first place and while their second and final routine also was flawless, they were edged out for first and settled for second based on degree of difficulty.
— A first-place level award and an overall championship at the Northern California Challenge Cup in Stockton, their season-ending performance back in April. They received championship rings, two banners and an additional award for best jump sequence.
While appearing in regional, state and national competitions, the Lower Lake squad also developed routines for its support of Lower Lake High School’s fall and winter sports teams. Team members are required to carry a 3.0 GPA and attend regular workouts, including weight training, often with members of the Trojans’ high school football team.
Wade’s cheerleaders are also active in the community, performing in the Lower Lake Daze Parade and the Clearlake Fourth of July Parade, volunteering at Meadowood Nursing Center, Santa’s workshop at the Calpine Visitor’s Center in Middletown, and performing in the Clearlake Christmas Parade. Team members also supported a fundraiser for Lower Lake High School sports in early January, volunteering as servers for the annual Valentine’s Day dance.
Surviving the long and grueling 2017-18 season were team members Haylee Wade, Rudy Rincon, Adrianna Illia, Amber Jones, Summer Baxter, Carley Pesonen, Destynee Mittelstedt, Hannah Pankratz, Brooke Landgraf, Alejandra Horan and Patti McCleery.
