Lahaina cheerleaders form a pyramid at the Aloha International Spirit Championships.

LAHAINA – Twelve young Lahaina cheerleaders recently captured two first place titles in the two-day Aloha International Spirit Championships held at the Waikiki Shell.

The group is part of the Maui Cheer All-Star Tiny and Mini Team that trains under Coach Sue Martin. The team of competitors and their parents traveled to Oahu on April 6-8 to compete.

“We have been training for this competition the past few months, and we are excited about our wins. As a coach, I am extremely proud of the progress and the achievements of these girls since they started cheering in August,” said Martin.

Emi Burman, Jolie Jackman, Destiny Martinez, Makanalani Tanner, Melissa Ramirez, Anahi Perez, Christine Chung and Anastasia Morris are all members of the Tiny Team (age five and under as of Aug. 31) and cross-competed as “Minis” (under seven years) with teammates Sydney Carnie, Taylor Henke, Marie Kamalani Gamma Bonette and Charisse Abut. Kaya Deponte came along as substitute assistant member.

Carnie and Martinez also competed in the Mini Individual Performance category, with Carnie placing third and Martinez fifth.

The team thanked businesses and families who supported the fundraising efforts of these girls.

“We cannot represent unless we get the solid support from the community – but no problem there, support was strong,” Martin commented.

Coach Sue moved across to the West Side in August to teach at the Maui Cheer All-Star facility. Initially contracted to work with the youngest cheer members, her involvement in the center has expanded to also offer morning “Mommy and Me” classes and Saturday morning tumble classes.

Maui Cheer All-Star will move to a larger facility in May, partnering up with Lahaina Crossfit. New equipment is on its way, and classes will be expanded.

Part of the plan for gearing up to tackle nationals in 2013 is to find more talent from the West Side. The team has new openings for girls ages 4-5 for the Tiny team, as half the girls will age out before the national contest.

If you think your child has what it takes, contact Coach Sue at letscheerwithsue@gmail.com or 276-9781 to find out about tryouts and training opportunities.

The Lahaina Crossfit facility on Kupuohi Street will host a Keiki Summer Camp. Martin will direct a fitness/tumble/cheer camp for children ages 4-10 in June and July, with great flexibility for parents to be able to tailor the program to suit their schedule.

For more information, drop by Lahaina Crossfit or contact Martin.