Wallkill Valley Elite Cheer leagues crowned champions

HAMBURG — During the Wallkill Valley Elite Cheer's competition season, the Senior Cheer Squad (third to 11th grades) and the Junior Dance crew (third to ninth grades) competed on a national level, both taking first place and winning bids to compete at the "U.S. Finals — The Final Destination of Cheer and Dance."

Wallkill Valley Elite Cheer is a non-profit, recreational cheerleading league that serves youth in the Wallkill Valley district (Franklin, Hamburg, Ogdensburg and Hardyston).

The U.S. Finals is an end-of-the year series of five events aimed at crowning champions in all divisions and levels of cheer and dance, giving teams a chance to see where they rank against other teams in their respective divisions from coast to coast and around the world. This year well over 1,500 teams competed between the five U.S. Finals locations, across the nation.

The first weekend in May, the 20 girls of Wallkill Elite traveled to Providence, R.I. to compete at The U.S. Finals. Both teams performed amazing routines and were crowned Champions in their divisions with a trophy, banner, medals and the US. Finals signature white jackets!

Later in the day, as scores from all five U.S. Finals locations across the nation were calculated, the final rankings for each division were released. With the highest score of all teams in their cheer division, across the Nation, Wallkill Valley Elite's Cheer Squad was crowned "Overall Grand Champions." Wallkill Valley Elite's Dance Crew was the highest scoring team in their dance division and was also crowned "Overall Grand Champions". In addition, the Dance Crew had the highest score of all Rec Dance teams, any style, of all ages/divisions, at all locations across the nation. Both teams will be receiving a Champion banner, pants to match their Champion jackets, as well as U.S. Finals Champion Rings.

While Wallkill Valley Elite Cheer has had at least one team "crowned" US Finals Champion every year since first attending in 2010, this is only the second time it has also won the "overall" title. This is, however, only the 2nd year bringing a dance team and the first time winning Overall Champion in both Cheer and Dance.