Central Junior High cheerleaders take second in national competition

Seven proved lucky this year for the Central Junior High School cheerleading squad as it took a second-place finish in the Jamfest National Cheerleading Competition, held last month in Nashville, Tenn.

Head cheerleading coach Laura Gunn said the outcome was the team's best since it began participating in Jamfest, a cheer and dance competition. In its seventh time participating, she said her 21-member squad faced off against 125 groups from throughout the country in a contest that went from 6:45 a.m. to 10:45 p.m.

"We got second place in our division, and there were 11 squads in our session for the day" from Missouri, Georgia, Indiana, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and other locales, said Gunn, who also is a family and consumer-sciences teacher. A group from Gallatin, Tenn., came out on top.

Greta Shipman and Drew Kasten are eighth-graders and team captains in their second year on the team.

"I was very happy; very surprised," Shipman said of taking second. "I was so excited; I didn't expect it. We worked very, very hard for it."

Gunn and assistant coach Michal Whitehorn said one of the differences this year was more tumbling -- lifting the girls' score and the team members themselves.

"I think half the squad was tumbling this year. That was the most I think we've ever had, so that was a huge part of it," Gunn said. She added they try to devise new routines and add more difficult things every year.

"We had girls that were really determined and we had girls that wouldn't let each other quit. ..." Whitehorn said. "I think that's pretty much what the difference is. They were all willing to work together to help each other out to make this squad really powerful. ... I'm proud of them and hopefully their tradition will continue. We've set the bar, so we can only go up from there."

The squad cheers for the seventh- and eighth-grade football team, seventh- and eighth-grade girls and boys basketball and also are in charge of spirit week and three dances a year. When they try out, they have to perform a cheer, a chant and a dance, Gunn said. They have an option to do a tumble for bonus points, Gunn said.

The girls work for about 10 months to prepare for Jamfest, practicing twice a week -- three to four times a week as competition gets closer. Weekend practices were held at Heartland Gymnastics because it has the same type of floor as the one used in Nashville, Shipman and Kasten said.

Fortunately, both enjoy being around their teammates.

"It's a good connection to people at school," Kasten added.

Shipman and Kasten plan to pursue cheerleading in high school, and they don't mind the work it takes to keep themselves sharp.

"I'm constantly watching videos and cheer music and everything like that," Shipman said.

Most of Gunn's cheerleaders haven't cheered before.

"It's a huge compliment to them that they learned so much in one year that they can compete nationally against these squads," many of which have been cheering since they were young and have several all-stars on their teams, Gunn said

Central Junior High School assistant principal Alan Bruns said he's pleased with how the cheerleaders represent the school.

"We're just real excited that they were able to achieve this high award and this high rank," Bruns said. "They always come back from summer camp doing well and rank with the other junior high school students, but this is a really a neat exception because they're ranked with high school-age girls and cheerleading squads, so it's really quite an honor."

rcampbell@semissourian.com

388-3639

Pertinent address:

205 Caruthers St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.