The Pinewood Prep cheerleading squads returned from summer camp at the University of Georgia with several awards.
The varsity squad earned its fourth bid to compete at Nationals in Dallas, Texas by placing first for their division on the final day of the camp. This is the second consecutive year that the team has finished as the Top Team during the finals.
The Panther team, which is led by captains Jordan Patrick, Catherine Sharkey and Tyler Fridh, was also awarded the Herkie T.E.A.M. award, SPOT award, Technical Excellence award, a designation for excellence in jumps, and the Individual Team Award.
Voted on by the NCA staff, the Herkie T.E.A.M. award is presented to the one team that demonstrates the ideal qualities of a cheerleading team, including technical excellence and team unity.
The Individual Team Award is voted on by all of the squads at the camp.
The JV cheerleaders, led by captains Katie Boehm and Judith Anne Gibson, shared equal success.
Despite it being the first time any of the team members had participated in the camp, the JV girls placed first in the Middle School/ Freshman division and in the Champion Chant competition. The squad also captured a SPOT award and a bid to attend Nationals.
This is the seventh trip that the Panthers have made to the University of Georgia for summer camp.
The varsity squad is led by Coaches Dee Devlin and Merrell Mann. The JV squad is under the direction of Diane Collins and Hope McIntosh.