Competing against 31 schools across the Commonwealth, Daviess County grabbed second place in the 2021 State Competitive Cheer Championships.
After grabbing their second straight regional championship, the Lady Panthers made their way to the state competition.
Daviess County posted a score of 97.0, falling right behind Woodford County who scored a 97.60.
Other schools competed such as Owensboro who finished 13th with a score of 89.20 and Apollo who finished 25th with a score of 84.10.
Daviess County Head Coach Kitty Jones was thrilled with her team’s effort, really maximizing their potential in their performance that now qualifies them for nationals.
“I felt great about my team’s performance,” Jones said. “They were electric, and brought a lot of energy. We did have some minor mistakes with signage, but scored our highest score yet [with a] 97.”
Expecting to be at the top of the final results while knowing there would be ample competition, Jones said they executed very well and captivated those in attendance.
“As I mentioned previously, they brought energy,” Jones said. “The entire building stopped to watch us as we performed. We were sharp, with good jumps, standing tucks, and solid stunts. We did have a few sign issues, one upside down for a moment and slightly off in one section on timing.”
When analyzing just how much the second-place finish means to the Daviess County Cheer program, coach Sally Ward said they’ve come a long way.
Jones, Ward and Tracy Gutsche started with this group of seniors as freshmen, went from not qualifying to placing 14th, then second in May, and now second in the state.
“It means a lot when you put it all into perspective, we went up against 31 other teams in a state where cheer is extremely competitive,” Jones said. “It did sting a little with the scoring that close, but it puts Daviess Cheer back on the radar and fuels the girls with high expectations going into nationals.”
Jones said that the Lady Panthers have done great this season, increasing their score in each competition.
Jones said they have been able to adapt when needed, putting in the work necessary in practice and have strived to get better each and every day.
Daviess County Cheer will continue to enforce this winning mentality going forward, as they prepare for nationals from Feb. 11 through Feb. 13.
