Waipahu High School’s varsity cheerleading team participated in the Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) state cheer competition on November 9, 2019, at the Neal Blaisdell Arena—a feat that hasn’t been done since 2003.

The varsity cheer team prepared for this competition since August 2019 and practiced their routines diligently every day.  Halen Muyano, a junior who has been a varsity cheerleader for two years, said the team had “all had the same goal, same mindset, and the same energy.”  Their performance had to include a stunt sequence, a pyramid, jumps, tumbling, a cheer, and a dance routine all accompanied by music.

Getting to states wasn’t easy, as the team also had to place highly in three other competitions: pre-season, the Western Division Championship, and the Oahu Interscholastic Association (OIA) Championship.  The Waipahu cheer team placed 5th in pre-season, 5th in Western Division, and 7th in the OIA championship, allowing a chance to compete at the HHSAA Championships. For the HHSAA state competition, the varsity cheer team placed 12th out of 18 teams.

“Our goal [for next year] is to place higher than what we got at states.  We are shooting for top 3. I hope my team stays hungry for the win and keeps up the positive attitude,” Muyano added.