For the fourth year in a row Special Olympics Kentucky held its State Cheerleading competition at the Pep Club and Legacy Gymnastics in Lexington. There were 19 squads competing at the event, which was held on Saturday, March 15.
Competition was divided into six divisions with groupings for Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Unified (mixed with Special Olympics athletes and athletes who do not have disabilities) and Elite squads.
The even opened with Kentucky Elite Showcats cheerleader Tonya Cornett displaying one of her other talents ... singing the National Anthem. Cornett has sung the Anthem at numerous Special Olympics events as well as at a Lexington Legends baseball game
After the anthem it was time for the squads to take to the floor and show the form they had worked on in practice throughout January and February.
In their first ever State Cheerleading competition, the Nelson County Hornets struck gold, winning both the overall and Best Cheer awards in the Beginner division. Four squads defended their titles from 2007 with the Southeast Fire taking gold in the Intermediate Division, the Meade County Green Waves winning the Advanced 1A Division, Stewart Home School Advanced winning Best Cheer in the Advanced 1B dividion and The Kentucky Elite Showcats claiming the Elite Division. In addition, Wayne County, which won the Unified division last year returned with an Advanced squad and won their division
View more Photos Here.
There was a new Overall Sprit award winner this year as the Louisville Flyers squad took that crown from the Owensboro Spirit who had dominated that category for three straight years.Our congratulations to everyone who who so hard to take part in the State Cheerleading Competition.
Thanks to all of the wonderful volunteers who made the 2008 Special Olympics Cheerleading Season and Competitions possible, especially competition director Kim Brown, all of the judges, tabulators and runners who worked the competitions and the staff and volunteers from Pep Club and Legacy Gymnastics.
For more information about the Special Olympics Kentucky State Cheerleading Competition or the Special Olympics cheerleading program, contact Kim Satterwhite, Program Director, at 800-633-7403 or via e-mail at ksatterwhite@soky.org
Beginner
Overall & Best Cheer — Nelson County Hornets
Intermediate
Overall & Best Cheer — Southeast Fire
Advanced 1A
Overall — Mead County Green Waves
Best Pom Pon — Madison County
Advanced 1B
Overall — Wayne County
Best Pom Pon — Stewart Home School Advanced
Unified
Overall & Best Routine — Tri-State Panthers
Elite
Overall and Best Routine — Kentucky Elite Showcats
