Columbus among standout squads at cheerleading state championships

Three years ago, the Columbus High School competition cheerleading squad couldn’t even field a varsity team. On Saturday, it put forth one of the best routines at the cheerleading state championships in Columbus.

The Lady Blue Devils showed out in the Class 4A finals, finishing third with a final score of 91.00. The team’s performance was a huge milestone for a program that practically started over shortly after winning championships in 2008 and 2010.

“It was emotional,” said head coach Amanda Hefner, who is now in her fourth year with the team. “We had to rebuild the squad from nothing. This group of 10 seniors that competed came all the way from that to getting third at state. That’s huge.”

Columbus’ team includes Moriah Boynton, Maddie Cox, Miracle Dickinson, Vaneza Desrosier, Elizabeth Forthofer, Sarah Gordy, Eliza Gross, Savannah Harris, Elise Higgins, Jillian Higgins, Kensleigh Hooper, Abby Lewis, Helen Morgan, Lina Porter, Libbie Stone, and Christin Walls. Alternates include Molly Barr, Kaylen Blankenship, Maddie Haines and Julia Hord.

Hefner expressed a relief in the team coming through on the big stage, particularly those seniors who worked with her from day one. They joined the team as ninth graders when no one returned from the previous season, leaving Hefner in charge of a group of diligent but inexperienced cheerleaders.

The countless hours of work and determination since then led to Saturday’s success.

“I was so happy for them because they have poured blood, sweat and tears into this,” Hefner said. “They got together, started from ground zero and worked on their skills. Now they’re out there, and they have a state-winning routine.”

Columbus wasn’t the only local school to stand out in their respective classification. Brookstone had an impressive routine in Friday’s Class A Private finals, which led to a second-place finish with a score of 84.17. Harris County participated in the Class 5A finals Saturday but did not finish in the classification’s top four spots.

Class 5A

1. Carrollton - 106.33/86; 2. McIntosh - 106.33/85; 3. Starr’s Mill - 106.17; 4. Whitewater - 104.67

Class 4A

1. Chapel Hill - 98.33; 2. Cedartown - 94.67; 3. Columbus - 91.00; 4. Troup - 81.67

Class 1A-Private

1. Mt. Paran - 102.83; 2. Brookstone - 84.17; 3. Savannah Christian - 67.50; 4. Hebron Christian - 65.33

This story was originally published November 11, 2017 at 6:27 PM with the headline "Columbus among standout squads at cheerleading state championships."