Cheerleaders to host showcase Sunday, Jan. 7
Morehead State University’s coed and all-girl cheerleading squads will host the MSU Cheerleading Showcase on Sunday, Jan. 7, beginning at 2 p.m. in the University’s Academic-Athletic Center. Area high school, all star, and college teams also will perform.
Both cheer squads will present their routines before heading off to compete in the College National Cheerleading Championships, Jan. 12 -14, in Orlando, Fla. The Universal Cheerleaders Association-sponsored competition will be held at Walt Disney’s Wide World of Sports.
The coed and all-girl cheerleading squads placed first in the country in the qualifying round, which consisted of a cheer video, as well as 2-minute video that demonstrated the teams’ stunts, pyramids, basket tosses and tumbling skills.
This is a return trip for both groups. In the 2006 competition, the coed squad won its fifth consecutive national title and 16th overall. The all-girl squad captured its last national title in 2005 and has five overall championships.
“Placing first in the qualifying round with both teams is a huge accomplishment for us. This is the third year in a row that both teams have achieved this; we set this as a one of our team goals at the beginning of the year,” said Tony Nash, MSU spirit coordinator.
“Now that we have met one of our goals and taping for our ranking is over, we start to focus on another national championship. The competition continues to grow every year for us; so many teams try to knock us off the top. My squads understand that it is much more difficult to stay on top rather than get to the top. That is motivation for my teams to maintain their level of excellence. Our next goal will be to execute a perfect routine at nationals. We don’t worry about what other teams do; we just concentrate on what we have to do to accomplish our goals.”
Members of the coed squad heading to nationals this year are:
Joe Arkansas, Charlotte, N.C., junior; Brian Babcock, Sandpoint, Idaho, senior; Lynn Baggese, Sacramento, Calif., graduate student; Patrick Boyer, Simi Valley, Calif., junior; Jennifer Brennan, Louisville senior; Leah Cann, Independence freshman; Clay Clark, Stafford, Va., junior; David Clemmons, Westland, Mich., graduate student;
Tony Crump, San Marcos, Calif., sophomore; Molly DuChemin, West Alexandria, Ohio, junior; Emily Eversole, Morehead sophomore; Lauren Floyd, Parker, Colo., freshman; Kurt Gardner, Harvest, Ala., freshman; Brittany Kaczetow, Centereach, N.Y., sophomore; Kayley Kraft, San Antonio, Texas, freshman; Laurel Long, Chillicothe, Ohio, senior; Kelly Owens, Goshen freshman;
O'Shea Parker, Bowling Green junior; Mo Rodriguez, Escondido, Calif., junior; Kasie Sage, Simi Valley, Calif., sophomore; David Schuch, Mt. Pleasant, Mich., senior; and Kelsey Simpson, Lexington sophomore.
All-girl squad members heading to nationals this year are:
Marta Alvarez, Culver City, Calif., sophomore; Brittany Brown, Sharpsville, Pa., junior; Morgan Carroll, Fitchburg, Wis., senior; Stefani Cook, Sacramento, Calif., freshman; Crystal Courtney, Burke, Calif., sophomore; Nicole DiSalvo, Plainview, N.Y., freshman; Sara Folwell, Flowery Branch, Ga., freshman; Danielle Garone, N. Massapequa, N.Y., sophomore; Brittany Grimes, Somerset, junior; Terresia High, Cambridge, Ohio, freshman; Marika Jones, East St. Louis, Ill., senior; Brandi Kratzer, Mt. Sterling junior; Amanda Lewis, Olive Hill junior; Chelsea Mauck, Crestview Hills freshman; Casey McCown, Cynthiana senior; Beth Millard, Kennewick, Wash., sophomore; Nikki Miller, Bonnyman junior; Kristin Nason, San Diego, Calif., sophomore; Kirby Ogden, Anderson, Ill., junior; Jennifer Orr, Johnson City, Tenn., senior; Tabby Price, Olive Hill freshman; Leslie Pulley, Post Falls, Idaho, sophomore; Kristi Randel, Orangevale, Calif., sophomore; Lindsey Rapp, Perkasie, Pa., sophomore; and Sara Wilson, Grand Junction, Colo., freshman.
Ryan Alderman of Morehead is the trainer for both teams.
“We have a great tradition in competition. The MSU All-Girl Team has won the national title five times and the MSU Coed Team has won an unprecedented 16 national titles. Winning 21 national titles for one University is unheard of. No other college team in the country has accomplished that many national championships,” said Nash.
In addition to both teams placing first for taping, two individual groups placed in the 2007 UCA Collegiate National Partner Stunt Division. The students and their rankings are: Brian Babcock and Jennifer Brennan (6th place ranking); Tony Crump and Brittany Kaczetow (1st place ranking).
Nash is in his third year as the head cheerleading coach and spirit coordinator for the University’s cheer squads.
Additional information is available by calling Nash at (606) 783-9495 or sending a message to t.nash@moreheadstate.edu.
Posted: 11-7-06
Revised: 1-5-07
