KHS team will compete at 1st UIL Spirit Championship

The Kennedale High School Cheerleaders are preparing for the first ever UIL State Spirit Championship to be held this January. According to Head Coach Barbara Johnson, the team actually began choreography in June. {{more}}

 

?They can?t wait to lead their fans at the competition which will be held at UT Arlington,? Johnson said. She added, ?The UIL team consists of varsity squad members plus one JV athlete who really stepped up and showed her skill and ability.?

The UIL Championships will involve three different performances: Band Dance, Timeout Cheer and Fight Song.

• Band Dance: created to appear as dance during a timeout at a basketball game. The cheerleaders will compete with a routine to a tune performed by the KHS drumline called “Sketchy.” This routine is a dance only portion with no tumbling or stunts allowed.

• Timeout Cheer: a performance that includes signs, poms and megaphones and earns high points for the ability to lead the crowd. This event permits limited stunts and standing tumbling.

• Fight Song: The music is recorded by the Kennedale High School Band and use in a routine that incorporates minimal tumbling and stunts. Kennedale?s Fight Song is played countless times thought the year including after every single touchdown, something that happened a lot this season.

The UIL Spirit will be held January 15?16, 2016. Later in January, the NCA National Championship will be held. This competition will put more emphasis on skill performance.

The Cheer Kennedale program has developed into a strong group of athletes with many awards under its belt. Cheer Kennedale is known for its high skill ability including jumps, stunts and tumbling. While the top skills that they are capable of doing will not be showcased in the UIL Spirit Championships, their ?performance? style routine will be performed at the NCA National Championship. This routine will demonstrate what they are capable of doing skill wise.

This year marks Coach Johnston?s tenth year coaching in Kennedale. In her ten years, the program has earned one National Championship as well as a top five and a top three finish on the national stage competing against 5A and 6A schools from across the country. The Kennedale team has also been awarded top tumbling and jump pennants at NCA Nationals in their division.

?These awards are proof of the athleticism of the Kennedale cheerleaders,? said Coach Johnson.

Members of the UIL & NCA Game Time Competition Team are Nia Brown, Marlina DeLeon, Mady Hamblin, Julia Lowry (Co-Captain), Emily Marr, Katie Miller, Baylee Moss, Madeline Orona (Co-Captain), Paloma Rivera, Kolbi Sipho, Haley Sloat, Tiara Taylor, Avery Tosh, Karley Vester, Jordan Willingham, Chayton Yardley and Emily Zepeda. JV members who have an opportunity to be moved up to the Game Time team for NCA are: Bianca Braz, Gwynith Camp, Mileyshka Colon, Jordyn Harrison, Camryn Johnson, Rachel Prebe, Hailey Vinson and Sara Wyckoff.

 

They will perform at the UIL State Spirit Championship January 15-16, 2015 at UTA and the NCA Game Time Championship on January 23, 2015 at the Dallas Convention Center.

Members of the NCA Performance Team are Mady Hamblin, Julia Lowry (Co-Captain), Emily Marr, Katie Miller, Baylee Moss, Madeline Orona (Co-Captain), Kolbi Sipho, Haley Sloat, Tiara Taylor, Avery Tosh, Karley Vester and Jordan Willingham.

 

They will be performing January 23-24 at the Dallas Convention Center.