Every year, the South Dakota State basketball tournament gives out a “Spirit of Six” award to the best sideline cheerleading team. The award started in 1968 when six cheerleaders were flying back to Rapid City from a basketball tournament and lost their lives in a plane crash. Since then, the “Spirit of Six” award has been given out to the cheerleading team with the most “spirit” to honor the girls that died.

This year, the LHS cheer team won the award at the girls state tournament and the boys State tournaments. This was a huge accomplishment for the girls and really represented the school in a good way.

LHS junior Allie Huber is one of the cheerleaders that was given both awards.

“At first it was nerve racking because you don’t know who’s going to win but at the end you feel very accomplished of what you did and what you got through,” said Huber. “It’s very honoring to me because we put in a lot of hard work and practice through it and it just shows that you’re a good cheerleader on the sideline and in front of your crowd.” 

LHS senior Savannah Chhen is also on the team. To Chhen, winning both awards was a huge deal, making her realize the importance of not only cheering well but showing  good character.

“The award awards spirit, coachability, crowd control, dress, all those things that are on and off of the court,” said Chhen. “It’s rewarding us for being good cheerleaders not just from what they see on the court but what we’re doing off of the court like being nice to other teams, helping out where it’s needed, and simple things like that. It just really showed that we were not just good cheerleaders but were good people as well.”

The team has developed a close bond with each other and have felt more comfortable while on the sideline. There is definitely motivation to win it again.

“We did a lot of team bonding, so we all got really close as a group which really helps you be comfortable on the sideline, and we also practiced a lot to be energetic and just being yourself mostly. We all were just really close at the end of the day so we were comfortable being on the sideline with each other,” said Huber.

Earning this award has shown the LHS cheerleaders that there is much more to winning than just skill. They have incorporated teamwork and have stayed focused throughout the season to show why they deserved this award.

“I just say be a good person to others because they’re not just looking for what you can do skillswise; they’re looking at how you are interacting with people,” said Chhen. “Although sometimes our crowd wouldn’t interact with us we still had positive attitudes, tried our best and included everybody that was there cheering for us even if they weren’t from the same school.”