VASJ cheerleaders prepare for 6th annual Mondays with Malta Cheerleading Challenge

The Villa Angela-St. Joseph boys basketball team isn’t the only squad trying to bring back-to-back championships home to Viking Village this year.

The VASJ Vikings cheerleaders will attempt to defend their crown as the area’s top team when they compete in the 6th annual Mondays with Malta Cheerleading Challenge on Sept. 30 at the Croatian Home in Eastlake.
VASJ won the competition last year and also in 2010. The Vikings were finalists in 2011.

Under the direction of Coach Tori Ung, VASJ will face nine other area cheerleader squads on Monday night. North, Gilmour, Kirtland, Lake Catholic, Mayfield, Mentor, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, South and Wickliffe will try to knock off the defending champion Vikings in a 2 ½ to 3 minute routines on stage at the Croatian Home.
The teams are judged on motion, execution, jumps, facial and voice. No tumbling or mounting is allowed in the program.

“The girls are prepared and are excited to try to come away with a third win in the competition,” Ung said. “Our main goal is to win the state championship again. We feel like this could be a stepping stone to reaching that goal.”

VASJ won the state competition in 2010 and finished second in 2011 and 2012.

Ung is in her sixth year as Vikings coach. This is the fifth year VASJ will compete in the event on Mondays with Malta.