The Drumheller Valley Secondary School (DVSS) Dynos Cheer Team walked away with many trophies and banners on Saturday, January 13, at the Swarm the Hat competition in Medicine Hat.
    The Junior team placed first and won the coveted ‘Spirit Award’ at their first competition of the season.
    “This is a trophy given to the teams that show the most spirit while they areperforming,” said  coach Marquita McNeice.
    Alongside the Junior’s, the Mini’s placed second in their category. The mini’s range from ages five to 10.
    Both age groups received a ‘Hit Zero’ pin which means no points were deducted from any of their performances.
    “They are quite pumped for the next competition,” said McNeice.
    McNeice dedicates it to the team’s drive and desire to learn more.
    “We just think we have a bunch of really good kids, they are striving to be better all the time and they’re doing it so they are bringing their game,” said McNeice.
    The competition was an eye opener for most squad members and parents alike as this was their very first competition.
    “We have a lot of members on our junior team that have never cheered before so for them to be there to see this [competition], it really helped them and also for the little ones and their parents,” McNeice explained. “They’ve never seen a competition before so, they didn’t really know what to expect so this really brought it all to the forefront and now our parents are hooked. They love it.”
    A highlight was the noted special team which consists of special needs children who did a routine.
    “That was really neat,” said McNeice.
    The Junior’s next competition is in Lethbridge on January 27. The Mini’s will join the Juniors at the Red Deer competition on February 24.
    “We’re quite pumped.”