In fact, it only fueled the Gaels’ fire.

Returning to a full-fledged Iowa Cheerleading Coaches Association championship slate after a one-year COVID hiatus, head coach Amber Barwin’s team picked up where it left off by securing Class 1A gold here on Saturday in both the cheer/dance and stunt group divisions. It was the second consecutive title for the team in the former, and the third in a row for the latter.

The 2020 event was held virtually, and St. Edmond came away with the 1A “Spirit of Iowa” crown. Pandemic rules and regulations made for an incomplete experience, though, so the Gaels were eager to getting back to what they do best this fall in a more normal environment: winning.

“We’d lost a lot of seniors and a lot of talent (to graduation), so we knew coming in this would be a rebuilding year of sorts,” said Barwin, in her 16th season at the helm. “At the same time, I could see really early on that these girls really wanted it. They were hungry. It’s just a really strong, hard-working group with terrific chemistry and an ability to listen and mesh well together.

Photo by Julie Vinsand, The Gowrie News: The Gaels' stunt group team celebrates its 1A state title. Members are (left to right): Michaela Leiting, Andee Barwin, Aleah Anderson, Anna Kolacia, Riley Nelson and coach Amber Barwin.

“When you combine that with the foundation from (the 2020 seniors) and their willingness to be actively involved with (preparing this squad)…it all came together at the right time again. I’m super proud of them.”

Aleah Anderson, Riley Nelson, Andee Barwin, Anna Kolacia and Michaela Leiting comprised the stunt quintet. Cambree Lunn, Madysen Halverson, Ellie Knox, Klara Baker and Marlo Lochray joined the other five to take the top cheer/dance trophy.

Anderson, Nelson, Baker and Halverson were a part of St. Edmond’s large-group experience two seasons ago as well. This marked the Gaels’ seventh large-group crown since 2000.

“I can’t put into words the feeling of bringing home not one, but two state titles,” said Anderson, a senior. “When I heard our names announced twice as state champions…those were moments I will never forget. I can’t thank my teammates enough for making this such an amazing final experience.

“This team believed in each other always and never lost sight of what we knew we could accomplish. We put in long, hard hours at practice, and some of us were even involved in volleyball or cross country at the same time. Cheerleading has been one of my deepest passions since I was three years old at United All-Stars. Three of these girls have been my teammates for over a decade on the cheer mat. So, getting to start and finish my career with Klara, Andee and Michaela was so special. But really, all nine of my teammates are definitely my biggest motivators. They never fail to amaze me.”

Nelson — like Anderson, a senior leader — had accrued the sweat equity to prove her value during Saturday’s clutch performance.

“Winning state means a lot to me,” Nelson said. “Freshman year, I didn’t know much about cheer and wasn’t very experienced. My sophomore year I dealt with an injury when I tore my ACL and wasn’t able to compete. With state cheer bring virtual (as a junior), it took a lot of opportunity away from our team.

“It means a lot to be able to not only compete at state cheer, but leave as a champion. It makes me happy knowing what the cheer team will become with the new cheerleaders. I’m super proud to be able to bring home two trophies with these girls because we have worked really hard on and off the mat. Emotions were high when they said that we were champions.”

Coach Barwin, a 1998 St. Edmond graduate and former Gael cheerleader herself, called it a “collective effort” as the program honed its skills and perfected the routines.

“There’s just a lot of organizing and scheduling that goes into this, given we share athletes with cross country, volleyball and other activities,” Barwin said. “The work goes all the way back to the summer, but once school starts, kids get busy and have to go (their separate ways) at times. It’s a credit to all of them that it never divided or interfered with the time we put in. We were able to focus much more on preparation the last two weeks (after the other fall seasons had come to an end), but it’s not like we were starting from scratch.

“The upperclassmen have been fantastic, and the (younger performers) really stepped up, too. I had a freshman coming off of hip surgery say to me, ‘I’ll do whatever you need’ despite being physically limited. That’s the kind of attitude it takes: team before me. And they’ve been very coachable from a constructive criticism point of view. They’ve been willing to push themselves out of their comfort zones.”

Andee Barwin, a sophomore and Amber’s daughter, finally got the chance to compete on the big stage after years of anticipation. She called state a “huge dream of mine.”

“I watched my mom coach many cheerleaders — Cassie Stumpf, Emily Averill, Sarah Crimmins, Aubrey Bemrich, Jacey Ash, Katie Rathermel, Lizzie Gailey, and so many others — to state titles. I got to tag along and experience the ‘big girls’ I idolized warm up, get ready, and cheer them on as they competed,” Andee said. “To actually be on the mat was a blessing itself considering last year we were not able to stunt, did not get to form as many bonds, and state was virtual and filmed out of the SE gym due to COVID-19. Because COVID took a lot away from all of us (in 2020), this meant so much more, knowing we didn’t get to experience the state feeling with last year’s team who we worked so hard with.

“Getting to cheer along the seniors (Nelson, Anderson and Lochray) one last time meant a lot because of the positive impact each one of them has had on my high school career. When I was in warmups alongside my mom and my teammates, I was more emotional and excited than I originally thought I would be. Aleah really helped calm my nerves; she has always been someone who I can go to who inspires me, pushes me, and helps me with whatever I need. With lots of hugs, team talks, and prayer, I could not be more proud of the performance we put out on the floor. Competing gave me such a rush of adrenaline as I realized I was no longer the little girl waiting for it to be my turn, but now was the one little girls watch and look up to.”

Anderson called Coach Barwin “one of my biggest inspirations.”

“She really pushed us this season and never doubted us for a second,” Anderson said. “I could never thank her enough for instilling in me lessons that I will use for the rest of my life. She is one of the best coaches I have ever had by far; being able to make her proud is the best feeling.”

Nelson concurred.

“Nothing would be possible without her,” said Nelson, who also credited the influence of former teammate Jacey Ash. “She pushes us to be the best we can, and that’s what made us state champs.”

Andee Barwin saw the results as validation of not only the talent, but commitment level of the program.

“Our team has worked so so hard putting in countless hours over the summer — and especially over the last two weeks — to represent St. Ed’s and Fort Dodge,” Andee said. “By bringing home state championship titles, it shows how strong the program is and how every one of us has that much dedication to the sport.”

Coach Barwin thanked the Gael parents and fans from around the area who made the trip.

“They’ve been super supportive all season,” Barwin said. “It just makes it that much more fun to have (family and friends) in attendance. At one point (during a routine), our music stopped and (the crowd) joined in and counted with us, which really helped so we could perform our dance.

“The school did a state send-off. Other coaches reached out and wished us luck. We practiced with Fort Dodge and were rooting for each other. The community support here for competitive cheer is special.”