Bullitt Central cheer rise to fourth place in nation

 SHEPHERDSVILLE - Overcoming some of the best teams in the country, Bullitt Central High School took fourth-place in the 2013 National High School Cheerleading Championship recently held in Orlando, Fla.

BCHS cheerleaders...Chandler Allen, Taylor Boston, Max Bozarth, Macey Burton, Hannah Burnes, Rhiannon Cornelius, Jason Davis, Veronica Dugan, Lene Ellingsund, Kelly Grassi, David Greenwell, Matt Goodall, Nathan Hall, Parker Hall, Zack Hall, Kristin Hines, Cameron Hurst, Justin Jeffries, Mara Judd, Kelby Leadford, Brooke Masden, Spencer Mattingly, Brianna Milby, Kayly Norris, Brianna Porter, Sabrina Owen, Stephanie Owens, Miranda Rippy, Brooke Sweeney, Matt Whitaker, Joanna Whitener and Alex Whitmore

To earn their spot among the top five finalists in the super varsity co-ed category the team had to compete with 20 other semi-finalists from across the U.S.

What’s more, the team had to qualify in regional competition before receiving an invitation to the national championship.

“We were excited for the cheerleaders when we heard they placed fourth,” he said. 

“They have come a long way this year and have improved tremendously.”

Moore said the cheerleaders had mixed feelings about their performance during the competition as the team that placed third out scored them by only one point. 

“We really wanted to place in the top three this year,” he said. 

“The team did however improve from last year’s ranking.”

Moore said the team began preparing for competition more than nine months before the championship, practicing at least three times a week in addition to cheering basketball and football games.  

Though the team’s rank at nationals wasn’t exactly what the cheerleaders were hoping for, Moore said he felt Bullitt Central’s rank was warranted. 

“We did have a few mistakes and at this level of competition you want to go out and hit a perfect routine,” he said. 

“But, overall they did a great job.” 

Having competed in Universal Cheerleaders Association’s national cheerleading championship for many years, Bullitt Central has consistently placed in the top 10.

A tradition Moore said he hoped would continue into the next season and beyond.

“We hope to bring home a national championship in the next few years,” he said.

With that Moore said the 2012-2013 team has been great to work with, adding that they have grown exponentially throughout the season. 

“We are very proud of all they have accomplished,” he said.

The National High School Cheerleading Championship is the most prestigious cheerleading championship in the country. 

The competition is held at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla., and is nationally televised on ESPN and ESPN2 to over 100 million homes and 32 countries nationwide each year.