CHEER CHAMPS: LC squad brings home 5 trophies; repeats as champion
Published 12:52 pm Thursday, August 22, 2019
2019-20 Lincoln County High School Competitive Cheer Squad
Seniors (left to right) Alex Jones, Amber Foster, Savannah Hammons, Suvannah Stidham, Malory Short
Savanna Hammons, Senior, UCA All-American Cheerleader
Tinsley Bastin UCA All-American Cheerleader. This is her third year making All-American.
Malyha Kyle...Pin-It Forward Award
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It is tradition each summer before the new school year begins for the Lincoln County High School competition cheer squad to load up and head to the Universal Cheer Association (UCA) Camp on the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington.
Apparently it is also a tradition for the squad to return home with an armload of trophies.
The 2019 UCA Camp was no different as the 21-member squad carried home five camp trophies, capping off the camp with a repeat as Game Day Champions.
“The best camp experience ever!” Lincoln cheer coach Amy Bastin boasted. “The team is stronger and bonded so well. You’re gonna love this squad. They are incredible.”
The Lincoln squad, which is led by seniors Amber Foster, Savannah Hammons, Alex Jones, Malory Short and Suvannah Stidham, hopes to be celebrating a win when it takes the sideline for Friday night’s football season-opener, but for now the girls can enjoy their own victories.
Of the five trophies garnered by the group, three represent first place finishes. In addition to the Game Day Champions trophy, the squad also won the Cheer trophy and the Superior Team trophy. The squad also collected a trophy in Sideline Cheer, runner-up, and Rally Routine, third place.
There is no trophy presented at camp for spirit but a Spirit Stick is awarded – and Lincoln claimed that as well. The Spirit Stick was awarded on three different days and Lincoln got all three sticks.
Rounding out the LCHS cheer squad roster are eight juniors, five sophomores and three freshmen. Alyceson Angeloff, Jamica Bryant, Camea Centers, Sophie Cornett, Malyha Kyle, Payton McFerron, Chyler Miller and Hannah Tinney represent the squad’s largest class, the juniors. The sophomore cheer class includes Tinsley Bastin, Lizzy Goff, Alyssa Miller, Jasmin Ruiz and Jayden Smith and the freshman class is Aidan Crowe, Kelsey Martin and Alyvia Taylor.
While at the camp, Lincoln had three cheerleaders singled out for individual recognition, with Tinsley Bastin and Savannah Hammons selected to the UCA All-American Squad and Malyha Kyle named as a Pin-It Forward recipient.
Bastin, who has now been named to three UCA All-American squads, and Short were chosen during tryouts. During the All-American tryouts, each participant performed their best jump, the Rally Routine Dance and the All-American Cheer. Both the dance and cheer are taught at camp.
The Pin-It Forward Award presented to Kyle recognizes and praises cheerleaders who promote the values fostered through cheerleading, specifically leadership, spirit, commitment, kindness, and motivation. All Pin-It Forward recipients then passed on a pin to another cheerleader who they thought possessed the same characteristics.
Kyle, Bastin and cheer mate Jasmin Ruiz are getting some national exposure of late, with the trio featured on the cover of the 2020 Citrus Bowl brochure. The trio, which performed with the Lincoln squad at the 2019 Citrus Bowl, saw their faces on the cover when the brochure was handed to them at camp. The brochure is given out across the nation to all overall trophy winners at a UCA varsity camp.
