"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Sequoyah Cheerleaders Score Big

"Bottom row L to R: Shyla Burgess, Robbin Collins, Hailey Weaver, and Symone Ross.
Top row L to R: Marisa Hambleton, Shelby Blossom, Coach Bonnie Griffin, Sherniec Scraper, and Nicole Laconsello"

TAHLEQUAH, Oklahoma — The 2008-2009 Sequoyah Schools’ cheerleading squad proved this summer that big things do indeed come in small packages. The group of eight girls returned from their annual summer training camp with the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) in Springfield, Missouri, with a handful of trophies, ribbons and awards.

“Although the squad was among the smallest in attendance, their accomplishments were astonishing,” said Bonnie Griffin, Sequoyah cheer coach.

All eight members of the squad were selected as All-American nominees, qualifying them to tryout for the NCA All-American team.

“To my knowledge, there has never before been an entire team awarded for their individual talents,” Griffin said.

Cheerleaders may be nominated for All-American for by demonstrating outstanding ability in jumps, stunts, tumbling, motion technique or leadership. Four Sequoyah Schools’ cheerleaders went through the rigorous tryout process and two were named NCA All-Americans. They are senior Sherniec Scraper and sophomore Shelby Blossom.

“More impressive than the individual honors these ladies achieved, was what they accomplished as a team,” Griffin said.

The squad brought home two Technical Excellence awards for their nightly evaluations. These awards are voted on by the staff and are awarded to the team they feel best demonstrated the skill technique for that particular evaluation. They won the TEAM Award Certificate twice, which is the award voted on each night after evaluations by the entire camp and given to the group which demonstrated all the qualities of an ideal team. They also received the SPOT Award, given to teams for displaying excellent technique in safety, spotting and stunt technique. This award is given by NCA to commend the team for their outstanding commitment to safety and safely performing stunts and routines.

On the final day of camp the squads competed in final evaluations and competitions. The Sequoyah cheerleaders won the Game Day Top Team Award.

“The Top Team Award is on the biggest trophies that they handed out,” Griffin said.

By earning “The Top Team Award,” the entire team qualified to participate in one of two special events sponsored by NCA. They can choose to travel to Miami, Florida, to perform in the pre-game festivities of the Orange Bowl or travel to Oahu, Hawaii, during Thanksgiving break to give a half-time performance at a University of Hawaii football game.

“The girls were really excited about that,” Griffin said.

They also won the Spirit Award, voted on by all squads at camp, for the one team that added the most spirit to the camp all week.

“This trophy is created in the form of a small megaphone and represents what I personally think cheerleading is all about,” Griffin said. “I have secretly always wanted to have a squad win this award, but it is not something a coach can really teach her team. To win this award they each have to possess the integrity, positive attitude and, most of all, leadership to keep going even when they are frustrated and exhausted. I have been smiling since they called out our name for this award and I am extraordinarily proud of this group of young ladies.”

The team ended the week with team member, Sherniec Scraper, earning the Individual Leadership Plaque for an outstanding display of excellence in leadership throughout the week at camp.

“Sherneic and the other ladies represented Sequoyah so well,” Griffin said. “Some of the NCA staff even learned how to say a few words in the Cherokee language and shared this with the entire camp by greeting them with a big “o-si-yo” and instead of the usual “1,2,3,4” to start a routine.”

2008-09 Sequoyah Schools’ cheerleaders are seniors Sherniec Scraper and Nicole Laconsello, junior Symone Ross, sophomores Shelby Blossom, Marisa Hambleton and Hailey Weaver, and freshmen Shyla Burgess and Robbin Collins.

Sequoyah Schools, a boarding school for Native American students, originated in 1871 as an orphan asylum to care for children who were orphaned by the Civil War. Now known as Sequoyah Schools, it is named for Sequoyah, the scholar who developed the Cherokee syllabary. The school is regionally and state accredited for grades 7-12 and has become the school of choice for more than 400 Native American students every year. Sequoyah Schools is located five miles southwest of Tahlequah, Oklahoma For more information call 918-453-5400.