Months and months of hard work coming up with a routine, practicing stunts, and refining moves came down to an approximate two-and-a-half minute routine for Newtown High School's cheerleaders on February 6. Once again, the Newtown girls tumbled, tossed, and flipped their way to victory, executing their brief performance at the highest level among 13 competing schools. Newtown, for the third year in a row, captured the South-West Conference championship - this time winning the title in the familiar confines of its home gymnasium, the Hawks Nest.The Bee.

Newtown scored 173.30 points, and runner-up Masuk of Monroe had 153.80. The Nighthawks competed 12th among the rival conference schools, then had a few minutes to catch their breath before again going out on the mat and entreating the crowd with the school's Unified Sports cheer squad in an exhibition routine.

"I'm so proud of them - It's so hard to do what we do. It's two-and-a-half minutes, no mistakes," Newtown Coach Susan Bridges said.

"That's all cardio - that routine. It takes a lot out of you," captain Jess Mullany said. "We know if we stick to our technique we can hit it."

Read more about the cheer squad in the February 12 print edition of