MOSES LAKE — It’s a lot of work, being on the cheer squad at Moses Lake High School. Whether it’s a game or practice, the cheer squad has something going on five days a week during the fall and winter sports seasons, said coach Mikey Carlile.

For the 2016-17 team the hard work paid off with a state championship.

The team will travel to national competition Feb. 10 through 12 in Orlando, Fla.

The coed team won the 3A/4A varsity division in state competition Jan. 28. Yeah, the cheer squad is a lot of work, but it’s also a pretty good time, Carlile said.

“It’s really fun. Practice isn’t fun, but winning a big trophy at State is fun.”

Like any other state competition, cheer is broken up into different categories. Moses Lake has won two previous state titles in cheer competition, “but never in coed,” Carlile said.

Winning a state title requires a demanding routine, a three-dimensional routine no less. “You have to fulfill certain requirements,” Carlile said, that includes tumbling, both running and standing; jumps, dance and pyramids (the three-dimensional part). “You do a two and half minute routine,” Carlile said, which includes music, stunt sequences and one minute of cheering.

After all, the point is to get the spectators into the game. “Your goal is to get the crowd to yell with you.” Just for the record, the pyramid doesn’t involve just lifting people into the air, although that’s work in itself. The tumblers have to do stunts while they’re up there, supported by a bunch of other people’s hands.

The key to success is taking advantage of the team’s experience - most of the coed squad is juniors and seniors - but not pushing too far. “You do the hardest routine you can, but one you know you can hit,” Carlile said.

As might be imagined, an award-winning cheer routine requires a lot of practice. Tryouts are held after basketball season, Carlile said; practice starts before school gets out and continues over the summer. When fall sports start the season moves into high gear - practice or games Monday and Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, practice, games or competition on Saturday.

Cheer participants also must be recommended by teachers and meet the district’s academic standards. “We want to have good students and good citizens” along with being good cheerleaders, she said. Carlile cited Jan. 21 as an example of the cheer squad at its busiest. Moses Lake hosted a competition during the day, following a game the night before. Another game was scheduled for that night, which meant the team cleared the gym after the competition and was back for the game that night.

All the work has paid dividends for MLHS, Carlile said; consistently the Chiefs have one of the top cheer squads in the state.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.