Rattlers cheerleaders to compete

The Tucumcari Rattlers varsity cheerleaders will compete on Saturday at the Rocket Spirit Fest in Roswell.

The team has to compete in three events in order to compete at the state cheer competition March 24-25 in Albuquerque, said Shannon Arellano, head cheer coach, who said the team has already competed in two state qualifying events, winning the overall champion at the Clovis Spirit Invite on Jan. 28 in Clovis.

The Roswell event is going to be held at Goddard High School and will feature several teams from 5A and 6A schools, said Angelina Arellano, cheer Co-captain.

Arellano said a win at the Feb. 18 event will be a confidence boost for the 14-member cheer team. She said the team stands to gain a lot at the Roswell competition.

"A win will help us to hold ourselves to a higher standard," said Heaven Hendren, Co-captain, who said the event includes several aspects of cheer competition including, stunts, cheer and dance. She said the team has developed a routine it will perform for the judges.

Hendren said the squads compete one at a time, so no squad has an advantage with each squad having to focus solely on their performance.

"We have a lot of talent, and these girls are very dedicated," Arellano said. "I am proud of all of the work they have put in this year to get to this point."