When Stephanie Splater from Spokane Public Schools recited a list of the most popular sports for students, she offered a few of the obvious choices: volleyball, tennis, football, wrestling. But when she said cheerleading, I did a double take. Not only that, boys are participating too.

"Yeah, all of our high schools are competitive level. So you not only see them at the sidelines in traditional cheer, cheering for football, basketball, volleyball, and so on. But in February, they go and compete in Battle Ground, Washington for state titles," she said.

Most of the Spokane-area schools that compete have had success.

"Ferris is the two-time state champion in cheerleading in a category. North Central and Rogers have been champions in the last 10 years. And Shadle's program is on the rise. So

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