Ultimate AS won Small program Grand Champion
Sac Royals won Large program Grand Champion

Why wouldn't motions or pyramids win that award ? (grand champions) It would seem to me after looking at the performance schedule that those would be the teams to beat ?

Was the Grand champion award based on highest score or on judges opinion ???

If you were there, you had to be impressed with the Sacramento Royals. We don't hear much about them on this website, but they were good (all their teams, in my opinion).

The Small gym Grand Champ was awarded to the program that had 2-4 teams competing. It was chosen by averaging the two highest scores from each program to recieve a high average.

The same was done for the Large Program , I think they averaged 5 scores to come up with a winner.

Goodjob to everyone today. We are in for a great season in nor cal.

I didn't see a single mini team today that was just 'aww, cute' without good skills. Even the level 1s were good!

I'm trying to think of things that caught my attention. Motions coed 5 was really good. I suspect the stunts were watered down, or maybe just something that will be built on later. But the tumbling was off the hook.

The rest of the CG teams were typical for their style. All what I would have expected from them.

Divas choreography caught my eye big time. Their coed 4 was amazing even with some small mistakes and a little cleaning up left to do but the choreo was great and I expect they'll only get better. There senior 3 was also good choreography but you could tell something went wrong at the beginning of the tumbling section because the rest of that section was messed up. The rest of the routine was good though, very original choreo. Two intricate routines.

Still some teams in level 5 that just do not belong there, at least not at this point in the season.

I think senior 3 was the most hotly contested division - 7 teams. I had University Cheer Force pegged to win it for sure, but I overheard someone saying they had an illegal stunt (?) and they didn't place. I was sad for that because they had a great routine.

You can tell it's the beginning of the season; lots of very clean, but very easy routines right now. I can't wait to see everyone later on and see how they build onto what they did today.

Good job to all the teams today - you all looked great!

Sac Royals were very consistent all day long. Their dance teams were especially great! In the past I've only seen their mini/youth teams, so it was nice to see all their teams.

I saw one thing today that sort of shocked me. A choreographer from a Bay Area program that was not participating was there with several members of the gyms' staff, VIDEOTAPING the higher level routines, including Motions. I hope they read this so they know they were caught in the act - SHAME ON YOU! I'm not even affiliated with Cheergyms and I was DISGUSTED by this! Choreography is about being original and coming up with your own ideas, not videoing other teams. Just disgusted.

Yes! wrote:

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I saw one thing today that sort of shocked me. A choreographer from a Bay Area program that was not participating was there with several members of the gyms' staff, VIDEOTAPING the higher level routines, including Motions. I hope they read this so they know they were caught in the act - SHAME ON YOU! I'm not even affiliated with Cheergyms and I was DISGUSTED by this! Choreography is about being original and coming up with your own ideas, not videoing other teams. Just disgusted.

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Umm...I think you may have misinterpreted the intentions of people from outside gyms videotaping. It has nothing to do with copying choreography. A lot of cheer obsessed people will go to watch competitions that their gym is not competing at because they are interested in seeing what the other gyms' routines look like, or because they have friends on other teams that have asked them to come watch, and not to mention that cheerleaders like watching cheer! I know that when I go to competitions I like to videotape other teams' routines because at the end of a long string of performances its hard to remember which team did what, not to mention that you get a much better feel for a routine once you've watched it multiple times. Is it really so wrong? If anything the teams being videotaped should feel complimented that others took the time to not only watch their routine but to record it so they could look at it again later.

Videotaping another team is not a crime, neither is it unethical, and videotaping a routine does not mean that you are videotaping it in order to copy choreography!


Another another note...it sounds like this competition was a success, and that Northern California's teams are looking really strong this season, I can't wait to see improvement at the next competition!

It was answered already, but program awards are based on your PROGRAM, not one individual team. Althought many teams looked good, almost EVERY team had hands down on tumbling and dropped stunts. Sac Royals were very good in my opinion. Another up and coming program.

what wrote:

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Nothing wrong with video taping . It helps to use it as a educational tool back at the gym.

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There is a huge difference between taping your friend's team, and taping your direct local rival. I noticed this as well. You don't just tape a routine you're interested in seeing again using several different camera angles with multiple people video taping. It looked fishy to me too.