Chapter One of the history of Rhode Island Interscholastic Competition Cheerleading is now being written, and the first entry goes to La Salle Academy.

The Rams easily won the co-ed divisional state title, then went on to capture the overall state crown as well at the inaugural RIIL Team Competition Cheerleading Tournament, held yesterday at Johnson and Wales University’s packed Harborside Recreation Center.

With freshman flyer Jessica Lopes filling in for teammate Stephanie Russell, who broke her ankle three weeks ago, the Rams performed to a medley of 1980s hits, amassing a to a team score of 192 points out of a total possible score of 220.

Given that the Rams’ have male cheerleader Dylan Smith on their squad, La Salle must compete as a co-ed team and easily beat out Tiverton, the only other school competing in the RIIL as a co-ed squad, for that divisional championship.

La Salle then had to wait for the Small-, Medium- and Large-School Divisions to be contested to determine if they would remain the top point-getter of the day – and thus, the overall state champion.

Mount St. Charles captured the Small Division title, taking first in the seven-team field with a score of 176.

Despite losing 11 points because of penalties that involved two improper dismounts and a hair safety issue, Portsmouth still racked up enough points (178) to secure the Medium Division crown by a relatively large margin.

Performing to a mix of hip hop and rock punk, North Providence closed out the championships with an electric routine that earned the Cougars the Large Division crown, amassing 189.5 points even after being assessed a major penalty of five points because of an improper dismount.

In the end, though, North Providence didn’t accrue enough points to overtake La Salle for the overall state crown. Although the Cougars had a slight edge over the Rams in the pyramids, stunts and dance categories, La Salle earned 54 points for its gymnastics elements to North Providence’s 50. And that proved to be the difference.

JUNIOR VARSITY DIVISION – 1, Portsmouth, 162.5; 2, Cranston East, 148.5; 3, Tiverton, 120; 4, Mt. Hope, 113.

VARSITY NOVICE DIVISION – 1, Lincoln, 150; 2, Bay View, 143.5.

CO-ED DIVISION – 1, La Salle, 192; 2, Tiverton, 126.

LARGE SCHOOLS DIVISION – 1, North Providence, 189.5; 2, North Kingstown, 172; 3, Cranston East, 143; 4, Woonsocket, 141; 5, Pilgrim, 132; 6, East Providence, 130.5.

MEDIUM SCHOOLS DIVISION – 1, Portsmouth, 178; 2, Mt. Hope, 167.5; 3, tie between West Warwick and Warwick Vets, 164.5; 4, Toll Gate, 129; 5, Chariho, 119.

SMALL SCHOOLS DIVISION – 1, Mount St. Charles, 176; 2, Narragansett, 167.5; 3, Rogers, 144; 4, East Greenwich, 141; 5, St. Raphael, 139.5; 6, Scituate, 133.5; 7, Exeter/West Greenwich, 119.5.

OVERALL STATE CHAMPION – La Salle.