GT Lady Titans Take Home More than just A First Place Title

The Grand Terrace (GT) Lady Titans are on the road to more and more success. They recently took home first place in their division at the Sharp International Competition that was held at Vista Del Lago High School in Moreno Valley on Sunday March 8 as well as the Best Showmanship Trophy. There were a total of 16 cheer squads, ranging from elementary schools to high schools. Each school was assigned to a specific division. With a total of 3 squads in the Lady Titans’ division, Coach T’Pring Colvard shared, “We (the coaches) were expecting at least second place but not first. It took the girls about three minutes to realize they received the 1st place title.” The Lady Titans started preparing about two months in advance, according to Coach T. Behind the scenes are the coaches that prepared and coached the 1st place Titans including Coach T'Pring "T" Colvard, Kayla Diaz, and Rosalyn “Roz” Colvard and Robyn Sambol. Coach T shared that each of them have their own areas they focus on to help the girls, but they also work as a team to help prepare the girls for their competitions. “Coach Kayla choreographed the dance, I (Coach T) created the cheer, and Coach Roz handled all of the paperwork to enter into the competition. Collectively, we tweaked and critiqued the routine until the girls were ready,” Coach T said. Sambol was also praised for making the girls new bows. The squad of 18 girls, ranging from age 10 to 13, practiced months ahead of time for this competition. This major event determines whether teams qualify to attend nationals. However, Coach T explained that their participation was mainly about giving the girls “a feel of a real Cheerleading competition” since the competitions in their league strongly differ. “I am beyond proud of the girls for receiving the title. But for me personally, I’m just glad the girls enjoyed the experience overall. Seeing the excitement on their faces as they watched the other performances, and seeing some of the girls confident enough to compete in individual contests made me feel like a first place coach,” Coach T shared. This event was the girls’ first time competing in something outside of their league competitions. With that taken into account, not only was 1st place something to be proud of but receiving the Best Showmanship Award was definitely the “cherry on top” according to Coach T. She added, “Aside from winning trophies, the Titans are a team that builds confidence, character and uplifts our students into becoming outstanding citizens of our community.” With the new season approaching, the doors are open for football players and cheerleaders, ages 3-14, that want to be a part of the Grand Terrace Titans.