More than 200 cheerleaders and 300 parents packed the gym at the Bartlett Ninth Grade Academy to watch teams perform their best routines. Schools represented included Bon Lin Elementary, Bon Lin Middle School, Appling Middle School and Bartlett High School.
The sponsors and coaches from each of the schools said they hope to make this an annual event.
“For the first time we’ve ever done this, it went very well,” said Denise Henry, BHS cheer coach.
Preparations for the event took about a month and plenty of parental volunteers to help it run smoothly, but Henry is pleased with the outcome.
She said the event was a helpful forum for the three high school cheer teams (BHS Blue, BHS Red, and BHS GameDay) to perform in front of a crowd and get more comfortable as they prepare for nationals. The 35 girls leave Feb. 9 to compete at Walt Disney World on Feb. 11-12 in the Universal Cheerleaders Association National High School Cheerleading Championships.
Henry, now in her fifth year as the cheer coach, recalled that Bartlett has a history of national champions and said she wants to bring back that winning tradition.
Saturday’s showcase in Bartlett was also a chance for middle-school and elementary teams to get in front of a crowd and show off their skills and talents. She said, “Cheer and pom aren’t quite as recognized as football, basketball and baseball.”
Written by Carolyn Bahm, Express editor. Contact her at (901) 433-9138, bartlett.editor@journalinc.com or carolyn.bahm@journalinc.com.
