The Rockbridge County High School competition cheerleading team placed second of seven teams and finished as the top Class 3 team in the Shenandoah District competition on Wednesday night in Lexington.
Playing host for a district competition for the first time in program history, the Wildcats performed their routine in a packed gym and overcame an injury during warmups to their main flyer, senior Gabby Brown. Sophomore Emmalee Grimm stepped in to fill Brown’s role, and the Wildcats pushed through, finishing only behind winner Stuarts Draft.
RC, one of three Class 3 schools at the competition, finished ahead of Class 3 teams Staunton and Waynesboro. All three advanced to the Region 3C competition, which is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 25, at noon at Wilson Memorial High School in Fishersville. The smaller schools competing and advancing in other regions were Stuarts Draft and Fort Defiance from Class 2 and, from Class 1, Buffalo Gap and Riverheads.
Each team’s routine was required to last at least two minutes and 30 seconds and no more than three minutes, with music for no more than one minute and 45 seconds.
After the competition, the Wildcats honored their five seniors, who were also the five cheerleaders who earned all-district honors. Brown, Lillian Ballard and Willow Rogers were named to the all-district first team, while Riley McDaniel and Emma Mines were selected to the all-district second team.
The Wildcats, who switched to the Shenandoah District from the Valley District, where they placed third last year, are the defending Region 3C champions, after winning their first-ever regional title last year and placing eighth in the Class 3 state competition. The top two teams from the regional competition will advance to the state competition.
For the full story and photos from the Shenandoah competition, with comments from RC head coach Shannon Bryan, please see our Oct. 22 newspaper.
