Gordon Lee seniors in search of another title
Success is nothing new to the cheerleading program at Gordon Lee High School, especially in recent years.
The Navy-and-White came through with a score of 99 in last year’s state finals to secure the Class A Public School state championship for a fourth consecutive season.
“It’s a pretty great feeling,” said head coach Kelley Whitman said of winning state title No. 4. “They all gave it their all and I know that not one of them left that floor with any regrets. It was a perfect combination of hard work and practice that they have been doing for months.”
But rather than rest on its laurels, Gordon Lee has been hard at work to add to their trophy case. The Navy-and-White picked up a first-place finish last Saturday and are zeroing in final preparations for regions on Feb. 6 and the state competition Feb. 15-16.
“Our routine is choreographed to max out in degree of difficulty in every category
on the GHSA Cheerleading rubric,” Whitman explained. “The squad has looked different this year than in years’ past because of all the changes, often last minute, they have had to deal with due to illnesses and close-contact quarantines.
“But I have been very impressed with the girls’ ability to take these changes in stride and rise to the challenges (that) this season has presented over and over again.”
As usual, Gordon Lee has plenty of experience on the floor this season with seniors Kaylee Ashby, Ellie Bowers, Kaylee Brown, Macie Cameron, Abbey Dunfee, Kailey Holmes, Marida Jackson and Hana Williams and junior Kilie Wilson.
The underclassmen are also no strangers to top competition. They include sophomores Maclain Chrnalogar, Ava Crutchfield, Ansley Dendy, Mallory Groce and Chloe Harris, along with freshmen Reagan Beagles, Darby Brooks, Lana Gibson, Charlie Kate O’Kelley, Sophie Murdock and Gracelyn Peterson.
Whitman said staying healthy is the key for the remainder of the season and that her team’s overall chemistry is outstanding.
“With a large group of seniors who have cheered together for several years, the chemistry happened naturally,” she added. “Those seniors set the example of what a team should look like and everyone else followed suit.”