AJHS cheerleaders excel at camp

Alvarado Junior High's cheerleading squad had a successful run at their annual cheer camp in June and met every goal the team set.
The group won the Spirit Stick Award every day and were able to bring one back to the school to showcase at the Junior High. The squad was also one of two to win the Herkie Team Award. The special award is named for Lawrence "Herkie" Herkimer, founder of the National Cheerleading Association in 1948.
Alvarado's squad also received the S.P.O.T. award for Safety and Spotting, Perfection before Progression, Organization and Technique. For their efforts throughout the week, the squad received a bid to the National Championship in Dallas, which is set for December.
As a team, the squad never received lower than an ‘Excellent' rating on their cheers and chants and even received a ‘Superior' during the final evaluation on Saturday.
The cheerleading camp is also the time when individuals are singled out as All-American Nominees. Nominees are selected by the NCA instructors for superior cheerleading techniques in any of the following areas: jumps, tumbling, stunting, motion technique, leadership and dance.
Eighth graders nominated for All-American honors were Maggie Dixon, Ashlee Estes, Emily Ferguson, Emily Howard and Kellee Russell. Seventh graders selected were Shelby Frazier, Taylor Moreno and Taylor Worthington.
Other squad members that participated were Madison Barnard, Kylie Horton, Katlyn Chandler, Tiffany Kendrick, Ashrya Ortiz and Melissa Tennery.