A Tauranga cheerleading club is celebrating following their champion wins at the weekend.

Tauranga’s Bay Twisters returned from the Auckland Cheerfest competition on Sunday after not only excelling in the team divisions, but also taking out the overall title of grand champion.

“This is a huge achievement for our local club taking the top spot over 45 other competing teams,” says Vikki Gorton-Tibbits who has a daughter at the club.

Teams came from around the country to compete at the Barfoot & Thompson Kohimarama stadium against 45 teams and 46 specialties groups.

Team Tsunami placed first in their division, were the grand champions of their level, and won the overall Cheerfest grand champion title. Photo: Supplied.

The Bay Twisters Cheer Academy, located in Tauriko, has seven teams of different skill levels – Rainbows, Starlets, Cyclones, Ice, Hurricanes, Tsunami and Thunder. Teams Thunder, Rainbows, Cyclones and Hurricanes didn’t compete in Auckland on the weekend. Team Thunder is also the top ‘travel’ team and will be representing Bay Twisters in Nelson for the South Island Showoffs on July 28, and Sydney’s Cheercon States on August 10 and 11.

At Cheerfest, in the morning of the competition there were speciality categories such as solos or duos, where cheerleaders do performances that are a minute long.

Following this, in the afternoon were the full teams’ performances made up of 8-30 cheerleaders per team who are required to do a two-and-a-half-minute performance.

Team Ice - Level 1 Grand Champs. Photo: Supplied.

Team Ice Junior level 1 won in their division and were the grand champions of their level, while Team Starlets Junior novice placed second. The Tsunami Junior level 2 team placed first in their division, were the grand champions of their level and won the overall Cheerfest grand champion title with the overall highest score of the whole competition.

Specialty acts from the Bay Twisters at the weekend event also took Cheerfest medal places.

Specialty Results:
Keira Mewis and Indy Kapi – Senior Level 3 Duo  - 1st place
Keira Patterson and Addi Macdougall – Junior Level 1 Duo  - 2nd place
Lottie Windsor – Junior Level 3 solo  -  2nd place
Annika Jones – Youth level 1 solo  -  4th place
Amber Kale and Haylee Purton Junior level 2 duo - 1st place
Saffron Wilton and Mila Ramsden– youth level 2 duo  - 1st place
Mackenzie Hockings Junior level 1 solo  -  2nd place
Sabine Hislop Junior level 1 solo -  3rd place

Vikki is full of praise for Beccy Grigson who runs Bay Twisters, and Beccy’s daughter Anna Grigson, who is the club's head coach. Anna is a bronze and silver world medallist, with experience on teams in Australia, England and the USA.

Team Ice.  Photo: Supplied.

Bay Twisters Cheer Academy was established in 2013 when mother-of-two Rebecca moved to Tauranga. Anna had been doing cheer in Auckland. On arriving here, they soon realised there were no cheer clubs in the area and decided to open one.

Beginning with eight athletes, the club soon grew and now has around 100 athletes of all ages in both competitive and non-competitive cheer.

Rebecca prides her inclusive club on being like a second home for the kids, with a real family vibe, catering to all ages and abilities.

Starting from age 4, the club offers competitive and non-competitive cheerleading including tumbling classes, open gym sessions, private lessons and even birthday parties.

“To be awarded Grand Champs overall has never happened in my 11 years of having Bay Twisters,” says Beccy.

“Anna is a fabulous mentor to the teams. They are such a wonderful family with enormous passion for the club and the cheerleaders,” says Vikki.

“They recently took part in United Cheer in Porirua two weekends ago with two of the Bay Twisters teams – Ice and Tsunami - placing first and second in their divisions.”

Beccy also produces the Battle In The Bay cheer event, which will be held on August 3 at Mercury Arena, Mount Maunganui.

Team Starlets. Photo: Supplied.

The momentum gained from the Auckland Cheerfest competition will be driving the club on to a successful home event in August.

“This is a massive achievement for our local club, supporters and athletes,” says Vikki.

Other events coming up for Bay Twisters this year are the Spring Carnival in Auckland on September 15, Cheer Factor in Hamilton on September 21-22, the CNZ Nationals on October 26-27 in Hamilton and the CheerBrandz Super Nationals in Auckland on November 2-3.

Bay Twisters is running a July 2024 school holiday programme on July 8, 10, 11, 17 and 18 with either morning, afternoon or full day options. The programme, run by Anna along with coaches Sasha Veall and Parnell Davis will be a fun-filled day of stunting, tumbling, crafts, dancing, games and more.

To learn more about Bay Twisters, go to https://baytwisters.co.nz or email admin@baytwisters.co.nz