Battling the elements and teams from throughout Washington, the road-weary Oak Harbor High School cheer team won its season opening tournament, the Harbor Cheerfest, at Gig Harbor High School Saturday, Jan. 14.

The Wildcats earned enough points in the win to qualify for the state championships in February.

Coach Robin Gohn suggested the headline for this story be “12 hours for two-and-a-half minutes.”  Her club left at 5:30 a.m. for Gig Harbor and drove through a mix of rain and snow. On the trip home, the Port Townsend ferry was cancelled so the Wildcats had to back-track to Edmonds.

Gohn said, “As the old saying goes, ‘through rain, sleet, snow or hail’ — this time, it was the OHHS wildcat cheerleaders that delivered by performing a high energy, precise routine.”

She added her team’s “hard work, time commitment and dedication” paid off with the win and “it was a very eventful day but full of pride and showmanship.”

Oak Harbor heads to the Wintercheer Classic at Issaquah High School Saturday, Jan. 21.