SAGA Competitive Cheer earns bid to World Cheerleading Championships

SANDPOINT — Saga Competitive Cheer, in their first year open to the public, recently announced that one of its teams has earned a coveted bid to the 2025 All-Star World Championships set to take place Tuesday, April 15 through Friday, April 18 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

Fourteen athletes from the organization's Senior Level 2 team, the Stags, have accepted the bid and hail from local towns such as Moyie Springs, Bonners Ferry, Priest River, Rathdrum and of course, Sandpoint. The following girls, who have been practicing together for roughly four months and range from 13 to 19 years old, will be competing against some of best the cheerleading squads across the globe in a couple of weeks at the event: Abi Alcaide, Brady Barton, Fancy Bowlsby, Lydia DeLair, Alyssa Gardner, Kynsie Hinrichs, Elsie Lamb, Evelynn Mart, Brenna Stewart, Cabela Sullivan, Donna Tutin, Kinsley Vasquez, Megen Vasquez and Alora Weisz.

"We are so excited to announce that our Senior Level 2 team, Stags, has accepted a bid to the All-Star Cheerleading Worlds," head coach Jessica Edmondson said. "They proved that they have the grit and determination that is needed to represent North Idaho on the world's stage. We are very excited and proud of these athletes' hard work."

SCC operates as the all-star cheer division out of SAGA Gymnastics, a gymnastics training facility located in Sandpoint. Owner Taylor McDonald teamed up with Edmonson this past October to create the program with a common goal to give children and adults in their area the opportunity to compete on national and world stages in a healthy and safe environment. 

Edmondson believed her goal of qualifying a team for nationals would take several years to cultivate, as earning a bid to such event is considered to be difficult and highly sought after. With limited equipment, and with the athletes having just half of a non-springed floor to train on in the winter, Edmondson used her extensive cheerleading knowledge to create an adequate training curriculum all while recruiting as many talented athletes in the area that she could find to make this dream a reality.

The team is planning to represent their hometowns with pride and determination, however, there are some financial obstacles that stand in the way. If interested in sponsoring the program's journey in their inaugural year, contact coach Edmondson at 208-691-5882 or at SCCdirectorjesse@yahoo.com for more details.