Reston Youth Cheer Wins Title

Reston Youth Cheer won its division of the Alexandria Holiday Invitational Cheerleading Competition on Saturday at T.C. Williams High School.

The 23-member squad took first place in the Youth Division (ages 12 and under), as well as winning the coveted Spirit Award, which included all three divisions.

The event was sponsored by the City of Alexandria Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities.

Along with the two team awards, three RYC members received individual honors in the jump-off, which scores a cheerleader’s series of combination of jumps. Hannah Waller won the 8-11 division, while Shy’an McNeil took second. Jessica Lister finished third in the 12-14 age group.

The RYC team, coached by Traci Waller, Nikki Jackson and Shawntel Spears, had to overcome many obstacles before putting on its winning performance: Saturday was the first and only time all girls were present to perform the routine since the competition team was formed last month.

One coach and one of the cheerleaders experienced minor asthma attacks and had to be treated with an albuterol inhaler and  one of the girls rolled her ankle during pre-performance practice while another lost a tooth minutes before the performance.

Finally, the DJ was unable to play the team’s CD, but was able to get a RYC coach’s phone to play the music.

“Words cannot express the pure joy and happiness felt by all of us in attendance:coaches, parents and cheerleaders,’’ said Waller, who is also the RYC Commissioner.

RYC, which also does sideline cheering for the Reston Youth Association football teams, will conclude its season next month. It will start up again in February with winter conditioning sessions that will focus on stunting and tumbling.

Registrationfor the 2012 fall season will begin in June, with practices starting in August.

For more information, please go to www.restonyouthcheer.org.

--Contributed by Valerie Lister