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PAGE 2D
November 16, 2016
«Reporter
Mary Persons cheerleading places 11th in state
The Mary Persons competition cheerleading team celebrated their team success with a dinner at the
Columbus Applebee’s over the weekend. (Photo/Leighanne Mitchell)
BY RICHARD DUMAS
forsyth@mymcr.net
The Mary Persons com
petition cheerleading
squad placed 11th in the
state at the AAAA State
Cheerleading Meet in
Columbus on Saturday.
Following their third-
place finish in the Region
2-AAAA Championship
Meet on Nov. 5, the Lady
Dogs competed in the sec
tional competition at the
Columbus Civic Center
on Friday. After placing
among the top eight teams
in the sectional round on
Friday, the Lady Dogs
advance to a spot in the
top 16 at the state finals
on Saturday.
Cedartown captured the
AAAA state championship
on Saturday.
At the region meet,
which was hosted by West
Laurens, MP competed
against three other squads:
the home Lady Raiders,
Spalding and Perry. Each
team had two-and-a-half
minutes to complete a routine, con
sisting of cheer jumps, stunt groups,
tumbling passes, pyramids, cheer
chant and a dance routine. Although
MP was coming off of a team victory
at Union Grove on Oct. 23, the Lady
Bulldogs slipped to third at region as
a result of a small error on a stunt
dismount that caused a 10-point
deduction. Despite the miscue, MP’s
flyers gave a flawless aerial perfor
mance, and MP’s Macy Morris dazzled
the crowd with her running tumbling
routine. Perry ultimately captured the
Region 2-AAAA crown.
MP then moved on to sectionals on
Friday, where the Lady Dogs com
peted against 15 other AAAA squads
for a spot in the Top 16 on Saturday.
All eight region champions, including
Perry, were exempt into the finals,
meaning 16 teams were battling on
Friday for the other eight spots. In
front of about 1,000 spectators in
Columbus, MP, which narrowly quali
fied for a spot in Saturday’s finals by
placing in the eighth and final spot.
MP cheerleading booster president
Leighanne Mitchell said of the deci
sive moment on Friday: “It was up
to the judges. All 16 squads gave it
their best that day, and with an anx
ious crowd, fans holding hands and
breath, the top eight were announced,
starting with eighth place. The Civic
Center erupted in a joyous cheer
as the announcer called out Mary
Persons, having earned eighth place
by tying with Jefferson County. . .
There wasn’t a dry eye between all
the MP fans, parents, cheerleaders
and Coach Kyle Ward as the girls cel
ebrated their hard-earned victory.”
MP was then slated to be the last to
perform out of the 16 teams who made
the finals. Mitchell said the Lady
Dogs gave their best-ever performance
to finish in 11th place, beating region
foes, Spalding and West Laurens, who
placed 12th and 13th, respectively.
Perry was the highest-ranking Region
2-AAAA team in eighth place, but
the Lady Panthers finished just four
points ahead of MP.
MP team members included: seniors
Sydney Lawrence and Toshiana
Strickland; juniors Caitlin Corley,
Makenna Howard, Madison Knowles,
Madison Lewis, Kayleigh Ryles and
Clarissa Walker; sophomores Taniyah
Dewberry, Macy Morris and Nakayla
Jackson; freshmen Lily Clark,
Kayleigh Hill, Abby Ivey, Ashleigh
Slaughter and Emmy Tane.
Mitchell said the Mary Persons
cheerleaders thanked the following
for their support: Monroe County
Schools, the Mary Persons admin
istration, Coach Kyle Ward and his
family, United Bank, Hubbard Middle
School, Hubbard Elementary School
and Reporter photographer Kim
Holderfield.
MP gives out season ending volleyball awards
Olympia High: Varsity Most Valuable Player Award
Georgia Wilcox: Varsity Best Offensive Player Award
Christa Willingham: Varsity Best Defensive Player Award
Creyuna Buckner: JV Most Ashunti Talmadge: JV Best Of-
Valuable Player Award tensive Player Award
Teresa Wilcox: JV Best Defen
sive Player Award
Taylor Miner: JV Most Im
proved Player Award
Anna Hightower: JV Academic
Award
Olympia High, Mary Kate Jones, Kendal Bunn, Creyuna Buckner, Anna Hight
ower: Scholar Athlete Awards
Photos courtesy of Virginia Wilcox
Rec holds annual Cheer Showcase
The Monroe County Recreation Department hosted on Sunday its annual Cheer
leading Showcase as a season-ending event for its recreation cheer teams. The
rec department also held its soccer and football championships from Thursday-
Saturday. (Photo/Keith Edge)