One has dominated the scene and the other has been on the verge of winning since the championships' conception five years ago.

Yesterday, both Kamehameha and Radford walked away with state titles in the Zippy's/ HHSAA Cheerleading State Championships at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Kamehameha won its fifth straight title — it has won every year since the start of the state championships in 2002 — and fourth in the three-team large division by scoring 354.5 points. Mililani was the large division runner-up with 342.5 and Lahainaluna was third with 260 points.

"It's awesome," Kamehameha senior co-captain Kawena Vierra said. "We've had our ups and downs, but we ended the year strong, so that's what matters."

Radford won its first state title, after finishing second the past four years. Radford won the 10-team medium division, unseating Moanalua, winner of the past three state titles, by scoring 337 points.

Baldwin followed with 324 points and Moanalua finished third with 317.5.

"We wanted to make history," Radford sophomore co-captain Kananionapua Kekuawela said.

The Warriors were under "huge pressure," Kamehameha coach Melissa Beimes said of winning every year.

"Being able to execute it and look like it's easy is hard," Beimes said. "Mililani was just as clean. They executed just as well, and they were equally entertaining. Throughout the season I was checking their scores and comparing them to ours. I think the difference today was our overall difficulty. We had a non-stop athletic performance."

Senior co-captain Alyssa Kong, who was selected the Hawai'i State Cheer Coaches Association Most Valuable Cheerleader, has been a part of four championships. She said the tradition of the school's previous winning squads pushed this year's team.

"So many alumni came back to watch," she said. "We wanted so much to give back to them; there's a legacy, a tradition. We wanted to fight for what the squads before us did."

Unlike Kamehameha, Radford felt no pressure in capturing its first state title.

"We've had different routines every competition because of injuries, and we've changed them a day before," Radford coach Bo Frank said. "This time we had three days to prepare. I just told them to have fun. No one thinks we're going to win, so just go out and have fun. I'm teary-eyed."

The team lost seven seniors to graduation from last year's squad, and this year's team was made up of mostly sophomores, leading Frank to call it a "rebuilding year."

Radford senior co-captain Tanya Aquino said the team "did what we wanted to do, and we just had fun. It's a great feeling."

The medium division consisted of squads of 11 members or fewer and the large division was made up of squads of 12 to 18 members.

Each team had two minutes, 30 seconds of performance time. In that time, teams needed to perform 35 seconds of cheers/chants and could not exceed 1:30 of music. They were judged on cheerleading fundamentals, including motions, jumps, stunts, and routine choreography and execution, including voice/projection, expression/showmanship and crowd leadership, as well as overall performance.

LARGE SQUAD (12 TO 18 MEMBERS)

1, Kamehameha (Erika Castro, Heather Chong, Corinne Chun, Alise Garcia, Elisabeth-Ann Jones, Alyssa Kong, Jasmine Merseberg, Tamara Patton, Chanel "Teine" Silva, Kendra Uson, Kawena Vierra, Keenyn Won) 354.5 points. 2, Mililani 342.5. 3, Lahainaluna 260.

MEDIUM SQUAD (11 OR FEWER MEMBERS)

1, Radford (Tanya Aquino, Sherrie Buis, Ashley Ann Carter, Brittany Cash, Kyra Ann Fong, Ephriam Gill, Kananionapua Kekuawela, Chenee Mathers, Brenda Moody, Charles Palalay, Keisha Pamaylaon, Cortney Williams) 337. 2, Baldwin 324. 3, Moanalua 317.5. 4, Castle 292.5. 5, Leilehua 265. 6, 'Aiea 262. 7, Pearl City 261. 8, Waimea 246.5. 9, Waiakea 244.5. 10, Kamehemeha-Hawai'i 244.

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.