o,ch iRYi3orter
!
Mary Persons Varsity Competition Cheerleadlng Squad individual award winners Mary Persons Varsity Spirit Cheerleading Squad individual award winners in-
include from left to right: Campbell Brown -- Most Improved Award, Macy Morris -- clude from left to right: Harlie Holmes -- Most Improved Award, Sleighton Thomas
Top Dog Award, Highest Grade Point Average (GPA) Award, Nakayla Jackson -- Lead- -- Most Spirited Award, Sunny DeVane -- Coach's Award, Kierra Hughley -- Leader-
ership Award, Taniyah Dewberry -- Most Committed Award, and Kaylee Gordon ship Award, Abby Ivey -- Highest GPA Award, and Abby Watson -- Top Dog Award.
-- Most Spirited Award, Coach's Award. (Photo/Conni Tane) (Photo/Conni Tane)
Mary Persons JV Cheerleading Squad individual Mary Persons senior cheerleader Macy Morris (left) Monroe County Middle School Spirit Cheerleading
award winners include from left to right: Ashley r gan received the Dorothy Bazemore Scholarship Award from Squad individual award winners include from left to right:
-- Leadership Award, Coach's Award, Amaya Web -- Top the award's namesake Dot Bazemore (right) at Monday's Emily Starr -- Coach's Award, Top Dog Award, and
Dog Award, Jasmyn Porter -- Most Spirited Award. MP cheerleading banquet. (Photo/Conni Tane) Walker Tonn -- Most Improved Award. Not pictured: Lily
Not pictured: Emma Ruth Grizzard -- Most Improved McBride -- Leadership Award, and Willow Waldrep --
Award. (Photo/Conni Tane) Most Spirited Award. (Photo/Conni Tane)
Monroe County Middle School Competition Cheer-
leading Squad individual winners include from left to
right: Miah Barkley -- Leadership Award, Emma Fox --
Coach's Award, Maycie Smith -- Most Improved Award,
Kenley Morris -- Top Dog Award, and Ava Nelson --
Most Spirited Award. (Photo/Conni Tane)
Mary Persons Varsity Cheerleading Scholar-Athletes
m
GHSA, in partnership with
Varsity Brands, Inc offered a
new competition this year in
cheerleading called the Game
Day Invitational. In contrast to
the competitions traditionally
held in the fall, this event was
geared toward high school Var-
sity Spirit squads and was hosted
by Putnam County High School
on February 23, 2019. It proved
to be a tremendous success!
The divisions were 1A-3A, 4A-
5A, and 6A-7A, and teams com-
peted in areas they typically use
to lead a crowd on "Game Day"
at any given football or basket-
ball game. The day was divided
into three separate timeframes
for each category to be judged:
Cheer, Band Chant, and Fight
Song. The five teams scoring the
highest in these three catego-
ries moved on to the finals and
then combined all of these areas
in an additional three-minute
routine. Not knowing exactly
how the competition would
measure up, it was definitely
a challenge tO prepare for, but
one Mary Persons Cheer was
ready for. Coaches Kyle Ward,
Laura Nelson, Rachael Scott,
and Jennifer Web
compiled a 19-mem-
ber Game Day team
with cheerleaders
from the MPHS V
Spirit, V Comp, and
IV squads. These girls
practiced together
for only five weeks
working around other
activities and commit-
ments and developed
a solid routine which
not only showed off
their skills and abili-
ties but also impressed
the judges. Using MP
crowd favorites, the
girls upped their game
by implementing use
of signs, pompoms,
and flags which exact-
ed a roaring response
from the fans there
to support them. The
Mary Persons Game
Day squad took 3rd
place out of 11 teams
in the state coming
in just behind 1st
place Denmark High School in
Alpharetta (which will be mov-
ing into the 7-A division at the
MP cheerleading team members include: pictured from left to right on the front row: Linda CarvajaI-Jacinto, Trinity
Stokes, Kaylee Gordon, Calliway Selman and Abby Watson. Pictured from left to right on the middle row: Kennedie Bur-
ston, Jasmyn Porter, Alyssa Green, Abney Langer, McKenzie Hancock, Harlie Holmes, Abby Ivey, Ashleigh Slaughter and
Amaya Web. Pictured from left to right on the back row: head coach Kyle Ward, assistant coach Rachael Scott, Madal-
ynne Scott, Sleighton Thomas, Courtney Whatley, Emmy Tane, Ashley Fagan, assistant coach Laura Nelson and assistant
coach Jennifer Web. (Photo/Conni Tane)
next realignment) and 2nd place proud of their effort, their dedi- Friday nights to be even more
Wayne County High School in cated teamwork, and ultimately exciting in the fall as these girls
Jesup. their successful execution of employ a new and more innova-
MP coaches and parents are so all they had prepared! Look for tire sideline presence!
