Rams cheer team brings home championship

Staff writer

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Portales Cheer coach Amy Green celebrates with her team afer winning the high school intermediate bracket at the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Championships at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Jan. 24.

The Portales Rams cheer team won a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Championships competition at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Jan. 24.

Portales won in the cheer high school intermediate bracket, defeating teams from Texas, Tennessee and Florida.

“It was really exciting to win this year,” said team member Anja Tech, who is in her third year. “After going two years ago, it was really cool to see how our team’s progressed and grown together as a family. It was really fun.”

Amy Green has been coaching the team for three years and has seen it grow from having fewer than 20 members and practicing in the lunch room to having a full team and their own space to work out.

“It’s been neat seeing them double in size; every year we get more and more kids trying out for cheer team,” said Green. “And I would just like to keep building this program and see how far we can go. Our athletic director Mark Gallegos has really helped us out as well.”

The team traveled to the national competition two years ago but just missed placing in their section. This time they were triumphant.

“It was honestly one of the best days in my life,” Green said at a practice last week. “We went two years ago and we lost winning jackets by one point; this year they went out here and all of their stunts hit and it was an amazing performance. They were so proud of how they handled themselves and how they performed.”

The success was emotional for at least one team member.

“When I found out we won, I cried, a lot,” Tech said.

The cheer team is now training for the state cheer event, scheduled March 27-28 in Albuquerque.

“We have two brand new routines that no one has ever seen before, so the girls are really excited about it.” Green said.