| OCCHS cheerleaders make history | | Posted: Monday, February 13, 2012 10:00 pm
| Obion County Central High School’s cheerleading squad has made school history.
The award-winning unit finished among the top squads nationwide at this past weekend’s 2012 National High School Cheerleading Championships at Disney World in Orlando, Fla.
The OCCHS cheerleaders placed seventh overall in their division, Super Varsity Division II.
The 38-member OCCHS squad, coached by David Byars and Ashleigh Wilds, enjoyed a spectacular season which included performing in the TSSAA State Cheer and Dance Championship in Murfreesboro and — for the first time in school history — being crowned state champions in the Super Varsity Division to earn the bid to the national competition.
OCCHS principal Linda Crigger said the team competed in semifinals Saturday in Orlando in a division with 44 other teams and made the Top 10 there in order to advance to Sunday’s finals.
Ms. Crigger said she became emotional while watching the squad perform Saturday. She said their routine was “perfect” and she knew they had done something wonderful.
“I teared up and cried. I was so happy for them. I knew they had made the finals,” she said.
In Sunday’s finals, the squad finished in seventh place overall in their division.
“This is nationwide. They were seventh in the nation out of 44. It’s great,” Ms. Crigger said. “This is the first time they’ve made it to nationals. They’ve made history at Obion County Central. We’re all very proud of them.”
Ms. Crigger said the squad has worked extremely hard and she credited Byars and Ms. Wilds for their coaching efforts.
“They’ve worked so hard and Coach Byars has been great for the kids. He’s shown them they can do it,” she said. “He and Ashleigh have done a tremendous job.”
Published in The Messenger 2.13.12 | | | | |
