The Oxford varsity competitive cheer team earned a fourth place finish at the Mardi Gras Invite at Oxford High School on Saturday. Photos by Jim Newell

OXFORD TWP. – The Oxford varsity competitive cheer team finished fourth out of seven varsity teams in division one at the Mardi Gras Invite at Oxford High School on Saturday.
Lake Orion finished in first place with a cumulative score of 777.28. Clarkston earned a second-place finish with a total score of 770.3. Romeo High School was third at 768.5 and Oxford finished in fourth place with a score of 740.92. Birmingham United, West Bloomfield and Southfield A&T also competed in the varsity portion of the Mardi Gras Invite.
Cheer competitions are three rounds with final standings determined by each team’s total score. In the first round, cheerleaders show their jumping skills and their ability to choreograph different motions. The second round is about precision, tumbling, jumping and flexibility. The third round focuses on tumbling and stunting, which includes pyramids and aerial maneuvers.
The Wolves’ JV team won the junior varsity division with a top cumulative score of 680.34. Oxford JV was second, 669.4, and Lake Orion JV finished third at 668.02.
Competitive Cheer districts begin on Friday. Lake Orion will host the District 1-6 competition.  – J.N.