Cheering their way to a championship

MUNSTER | Mustang cheerleaders competed in two invitationals this season and earned grand champion honors at the LaPorte Slicers Invitational  and posting the highest team scores at the Crown Point Thunder Invitational.

"The girls on this team deserve everything they have achieved," co-coach Kristen Szafasz said. " They have put in the time, effort, and determination to be one of the best local cheerleading teams.

"We set high goals for ourselves, and by meeting them we could not think of a better way to end the season."

Szafasz coaches the 25 varsity and JV cheerleaders from Munster High School with Brittany Bohling.

At the Crown Point Thunder Invitational, the Munster team won first-place in the Large Varsity Division against Highland and Crown Point, first place in Varsity Stunt with members Hannah Colias, Lorin Levitan, Olivia Wagner, and Megan Welch, and scored the highest out of all high schools competing.

Senior Megan Welch also won Tumble Champion honors in the High School Division.

At the LaPorte Slicers Invitational, Munster's team again won first-place in the Large Varsity Division against Crown Point and Highland.

The Mustangs were also named Grand Champions as the team at the end of the event with the highest point total. "We beat 18 other routines in the school division to be the team with the highest point total at the end," Szafasz said. "This is the first time Munster has been Grand Champions at a competition."

Welch again won Tumble Champion honors in the High School Division, competing against 10 other competitors from Crown Point, Hebron, Warsaw, and La Porte schools. "She completed a pass that is rarely attempted at the high school level, including three full twisting back flips," Szafasz said.

Munster's Varsity Stunt Group placed third of out eight routines with sophomores Alison Frankland, Emma Nossem, Allison Stahl and Jamie Whiting competing.