1,200 cheerleaders attend Orange Bowl competition

DAVIE Nearly 1,200 cheerleaders took to the mats Sunday in Davie, showcasing dance and cheer routines for the top spot in a region-wide competition.

The Orange Bowl Cheer Championship drew cheerleaders ages 6 to 15 from throughout South Florida to the Rick Case Arena at Nova Southeastern University.

“I love it,” said Lauren Lopez, 13, who is a member of the Kendall Hammocks Warriors’ pro cheer team and competed for her fourth year Sunday. “I had a lot of fun.”

The yearly competition brings together 10 different football and cheerleading leagues from northern Palm Beach County to the Florida Keys that don’t normally compete against each other.

This year’s overall winning team was the Miami Gardens Bulldogs.

The championship has been around for nearly 19 years. Heidi Dove, director of the Glades Tri-County Youth Athletic League, has been to every one for the past decade.

She said the event gives her girls an opportunity to see teams outside of their area. Based in Indiantown, just east of Lake Okeechobee, Dove and her teams had a two-hour trek to Davie.

“Some of the kids that we have out here don’t get a chance to go stay in hotel rooms and go travel and participate in different events,” Dove said. “So it’s a benefit for our kids to just get out and get the experience.”

The cheer championship is hosted by the Orange Bowl Committee, a nonprofit sports organization in that is charge of the Capital One Orange Bowl football game.

This year’s football game is scheduled for Dec. 30 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

While the game has always been the organization’s staple, the committee has tried to branch out to more community-focused events, said Eric Poms, CEO of the Orange Bowl Committee.