Bob Jones JV cheerleaders get championship rings
Members of the Bob Jones junior varsity competition cheerleading team show off their trophy and rings at a ceremony Aug. 4. (Record Photo/Nick Sellers)
By Nick Sellers | Staff Writer
MADISON – It was a six-month wait for the Bob Jones junior varsity competition cheerleaders to get their rings for their Universal Cheerleaders Association national championship, but the Patriots finally got their jewelry at a ceremony the day before school started, Aug. 4.
The group of 11 girls and one boy received their rings from athletic director Luther Tiggs and assistant cheer and head competition coach Stephanie Amoretti. The full group that competed in February consisted of 13 total athletes.
“You work all year long, and you only get about two-and-a-half minutes to show for it,” Tiggs said. “They made it count.”
Amoretti said team members represent various levels of cheerleading experience, as two were seniors on the squad and three had no cheer experience prior to joining the junior varsity competition team.
“You accomplished something that not many people can say they have done,” Amoretti said.
Amoretti also said the team competed in a different division than it normally does, which provided a healthy “learning curve.”
The team’s schedule consists of 10 solid months of practice, 6-7 times per week. The team must perform well at district and state competitions before earning the right to compete at the national competitions, which are held over one weekend in Orlando, Fla.
“I think [the team’s championship] paved the way for all of our student-athletes to have success,” Amoretti said.
New Bob Jones principal Sylvia Lambert was also present for the ceremony, praising the athletes.
“I’m always amazed at how much time and energy you put into the routines,” Lambert said.
