The Rockbridge County High School competition cheerleading team concluded a strong season by placing sixth of 10 teams at the Region 3C competition on Saturday afternoon at Wilson Memorial High School in Fishersville.
The Wildcats, who had placed second of seven teams in the Shenandoah District competition 10 days earlier at RC, scored 145.5 points at the Region 3C competition. Like at the district competition, the Wildcats had a cheerleader injured during warmups when sophomore Chloe Zollman dislocated her elbow.
Harrisonburg won with 247 points, while Brookville placed second with 231.25. Broadway (222.75) finished third, East Rockingham (188.25) came in fourth, and Heritage (148.5) placed fifth. Completing the standings were RC, Waynesboro (126.5), Fluvanna County (123.75), Monticello (110.25) and Staunton (104.75).
The top five teams advanced to the second round of the regional competition, and the top two teams advanced to the Class 3 state competition, which will take place on Saturday, Nov. 8 at the Siegel Center at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.
Four Wildcats earned all-region honors. Seniors Lillian Ballard and Riley McDaniel were named to the all-region first team, while seniors Emma Mines and Willow Rogers were selected to the all-region second team. In addition to the all-region seniors, the Wildcats will graduate senior Gabby Brown, an all-district first-team selection who was injured during warmups for the district competition.
Other RC cheerleaders this year were juniors Makenna Brinkley, Maria Calomeris and Celia Jones; sophomores Sofia Gaydos, Emmalee Grimm, Ariana Mitchell, Natasha Shorter and Chloe Zollman; and freshman Alaina Early and Josellyn Fitz.
The Wildcats are under the direction of seventh-year head coach Shannon Bryan and assistant coach Sarah Parnell.
For the full story on the regional competition, with comments from Bryan, please see our Oct. 29 newspaper.
