PEA RIDGE — And the winners are - the Pea Ridge Blackhawks!
The Pea Ridge High School Cheerleaders won first place in the the 2- to 4-A Co-ed State Cheerleading Championship Saturday, Dec. 17 in Hot Springs. By doing so, they received a bid to attend that National Championship in Orlando, Fla., in February.
“It’s just amazing how good they are,” head coach Jamie Bunting said. “They are a great group of kids. They come together as a team.
“We have kids who have never cheered on the high school level.
I lost 10 seniors last year. We only had eight returning,” Bunting said of the 18-member squad.
Bunting said the cheerleaders have had great success this year in all competitions. The squad members have worked hard and bonded together as a team. At the beginning of the year, the squad learned that they had the theme of H.E.R.O.E.S., which stands for Hardworking, Enthusiastic, Responsible, Optimistic, Energetic and Success.
“They have been HEROES in the community, at school, competitions and in cheering on our athletic teams all year. I could not be prouder of their accomplishments,” Bunting said, adding the tremendous support of the parents makes the accomplishments possible.
“They decorated the bus and gave the kids goody bags before we left and many were at the competition in Hot Springs,” she said.
Bunting, in her second year at Pea Ridge, has coached cheer leading for eight years. Last year, her first year with the Blackhawks, the team earned runner-up (second)at state. She has coached at Prairie Grove, Dardenelle and helped at Texarkana.
Sports, Pages 9 on 12/21/2011