These Lady’s Island Middle cheerleaders have spirit to spare

The Lady’s Island Middle School cheerleading team took home the top prize at a recent national cheer camp in Myrtle Beach.

The 16-member team won first place overall at this summer’s 2016 Universal Cheerleading Association Camp for middle-schoolers. They also won:

First place in the “Game Day” competition, in which the cheerleaders react to an announcer’s description of fictional football plays.

Second place in the three-day “Extreme Dance Routine” competition

Second place for “Sidelines,” or showing spirit outside of competitive events.

The team had only four returning members, so competing with so many untested cheerleaders was a “feat within itself,” said Linda Murray, the team’s assistant coach.

“To be honest, you really don’t know what cheerleaders can do until you watch them practice,” she said.

Their head coach is Kelsey Lopez. The team captains are Rachelle Martz, Adia Davis, and Natalie Marrow. The cheer team also consists of Kylie Archer, Charlotte Freeman, Abby Glancy, Ayeesha Wynn, Elizabeth Singleton, Simone Butler, Jaylen Clifton, Madelyn Pratt, Paige Starnes, Navah Williams, Carolina Sutton, Kimberly Cohen and Aysia Russell.

This story was originally published September 8, 2016 at 10:40 AM with the headline "These Lady’s Island Middle cheerleaders have spirit to spare."