After years of spirited cheerleading on campus, the athletic department has only recently recognized cheerleading as an official sport. Acknowledgment as a varsity sport brings privileges the team was not able to enjoy as an unofficial club. The team now has the financial support of Gunn Sports Boosters, which is critical in a sport where, according to coach Rebecca Maldonado, starting costs can hit as much as $1,000 per athlete.

Junior co-captain Aria Airo is pleased with the school’s acceptance of cheerleading as a sport. “We do just as much, if not more than other sports,” she said. “Not only do we work out and perform, but we also have to be there for everyone else.”

The athletic department’s decision came after record tryouts at the end of the last school year. During the summer, the girls honed their abilities in tumbling and stunting by devoting four hours a week to cheer practice. They also attended four days of cheer camp at UC Santa Cruz that focused on learning new cheers and bonding as a team. “It was a good time to be a big sister to the cheerleaders,” Maldono said.

The team managed to seize five awards in spirit and overall excellence. The camp also hosted the All-Star Team tryouts, in which senior team captain Julie Ming and sophomores Ting-Ting Liu, Josephine Jen and Keyanna Dixon qualified. The chosen girls have the chance to perform in a London cheer festival. Ming and senior Alix Farhat were also invited to join the USA cheer team.

Aspiring to more than just athletic goals, the teams volunteer. Most recently, they volunteered at Google’s Doof-a-Palooza, an annual event that focuses on educating children about organic foods. Additionally, the girls plan on hosting a youth cheer camp later during the year.

While previously being restricted to cheering at football and basketball games, the teams plan on attending more events in the future. “We want to do a little something special for all parts of Gunn athletics,” sophomore Sophia Jiang said.