The Mancos cheer team learned from its 2024 season that there’s room to grow.
Under the direction of fourth-year head coach Megan Daves-Warner, the Bluejays are deep into end-of-season competitions, and the 12-member squad continues to improve.
The team will host its inaugural Cheerleading Showcase at Bluejay Fieldhouse on Dec. 3, bringing in squads from across the region as a final tuneup before state.
“As we head into the state championships, the excitement is building,” said Daves-Warner. “We’re looking to make a mark for cheerleading in our area.”
Mancos has reason for optimism. Led by senior co-captains Elly Coey (2024 all-state honorable mention) and Maddie Daves (2023 all-state honorable mention), the team aims to surpass its fifth-place finish in the Class 2A/3A coed division at the Denver Coliseum last year.
“After last year’s 10-point deduction at state cost us a second-place finish, we’re determined to fight for what we lost,” Daves-Warner said.
Several new athletes joined the team this year, requiring adjustments to integrate fresh talent into routines. “They learned an entire routine in just two weeks and have been doing an outstanding job,” Daves-Warner said.
The Bluejays compete in the coed division with eight female and four male athletes. They placed runner-up in “Best Stunt Group” and “Best Jump” at the Redhawk Rumble in Montrose earlier this fall.
That result, along with success at the National Cheerleaders Association Camp in September, has the Jays headed to the regional competition in Highlands Ranch on Nov. 22 – and possibly nationals. “It’s one of our biggest goals for the season,” Daves-Warner said. “We have such a small team, but everyone fills in their role to make this team what it is.”
Local teams including Dolores, Dove Creek and Montezuma-Cortez, plus several middle schools, will join the Bluejays’ Cheerleading Showcase on Dec. 3. The event offers the community a chance to see cheer and dance teams in a competitive setting. “We’re wanting to celebrate local cheer talent,” Daves-Warner said, while giving athletes one more chance to polish routines.
