Edgren captures cheer crown for outgoing coach
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SASEBO NAVAL BASE, Japan — For the fourth time in five years, Misawa’s Robert D. Edgren has captured the Far East High School Cheerleading Competition Division II crown.
Ten DODDS schools competed this year for top individual and team honors in a week’s worth of cheerleading festivities starting Monday at Misawa Air Base.
Nile C. Kinnick took top honors in Division I, followed by Yokota and Guam. In Division II, Edgren was followed by Zama and Osan respectively.
The story of this year’s competition was Edgren, which won the banner for outgoing coach Pamela Tucker.
Tucker, who missed the tournament last year as she was deployed with the Army to Afghanistan, is leaving to focus her efforts on education.
“It feels great,” she said after the tournament. “It’s my last coaching season and I wanted to go out with a bang. I wanted to go out as I came in, with a banner. I love the heart of this team.”
The Misawa squad competed with just six squad members, when most teams have 10. And they have no seniors on the team.
Junior captain and All-American nominee, O’Nell Latimore, said that the team members knew they would have to bring power and spirit if they wanted to win another banner.
“We stayed tough, strong, with a smile on our faces, and we did it,” she said. “We came together as a family.”
Teams were broken up into divisions for large and small schools, officials said. Throughout the week, cheerleaders took part in a camp and clinic run by the National Cheerleading Association, who has overseen the event since 2000.
Staffers from the association taught classes in everything from dancing to stunt techniques and performed evaluations. The teams were then tasked with putting together a routine, which was graded. Awards were handed out to the top performers at the end of the five day camp.
Awards
Leadership
Brandi Yarber, E.J. King
Miako Beale, Zama
S.P.O.T
Guam
Seoul
Edgren
Yokota
Top All American
Jaia Armstrong, Guam High
All-Americans
Laurenne McCarty. Kadena; Keighla Exum, Edgren; La’Traesha Scott, Jenna Jackson, Nat Williamson, Seoul; Kaitlyn Presley, Micaela Sherman, Daniell Balfour, Kubasaki; Josh Hunt, Joey Marino, Nile C. Kinnick
Top Gun
Dance — Jenna Jackson, Seoul
Jump — Micaela Sherman, Kubaski
Tumbling — Joey Marino, Kinnick
Group Stunt — Yokota
Partner Stunt — Kinnick
Top Team Award — Game Day
Small School — Edgren
Large School -- Kadena
