By Molly Seales
From Wednesday, July 20, until Saturday, July 23, the Riverdale Academy Varsity Cheerleaders attended UCA cheer camp at the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas. Under the direction of cheer coach Sidney Jones, these girls worked hard each day learning new cheers, stunts, chants, dances, and safety measures.
Each year at UCA camp, Pin It Forward awards are given to cheerleaders who display characteristics such as leadership, spirit, commitment, kindness, and motivation. After a cheerleader is give this award by a UCA staffer, he/she finds another cheerleader who demonstrates those same qualities and “Pin It Forward.” This year Riverdale had two recipients of this award-junior Emily Nettles received Pin It Forward from a UCA staff member, and freshman Emma Giddings received Pin It Forward from a cheerleader from another squad.
Also, each year at camp, cheerleaders have an opportunity to try out for UCA All American cheerleader. Those who make All American are invited to perform in places such as London and Hawaii if they choose to do so. This year Riverdale had two squad members try out, and both of them made it! Congratulations to our All Americans, senior Emma Clemons and freshman Ayla Knotts. Ayla also made it to the final round of the jump off competition.
The squad received numerous team awards throughout the week. They received 3 spirit sticks, a blue ribbon for their cheer and sideline evaluation, a red ribbon for their camp dance evaluation, a 2nd place trophy in the final dance evaluation, and the most improved trophy for a small varsity squad. It was a fun but tiring week, and the cheerleaders are fired up and ready to cheer on our boys of fall.
2022-23 cheerleaders are seniors: captain Emma Clemons, co-captain Molly Seales, Jessie Kate Cobb, and Baylee Whittington; juniors Kylie Donald, Sky McMullan, Emily Nettles, and Maddie Whittington; sophomores Lilly Grace Guillot, Kacie Harper, and Jadyn King; and freshmen Emma Giddings, Hanna Catherine Huddleston, Ayla Knotts, Makayla Pickett, Ava Procell, and Julia Grace Riggs.
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