Local cheerleaders win nationals

FALLBROOK - The Fallbrook High School cheerleading squad won the JAMZ Cheerleading National Championship on Feb. 24 in Las Vegas, Nev.

“Four years of cheer and I finally got my National Champion jacket,” shouted team member Aryana Ingram, varsity team captain, when the announcement was made.

“We had a great season this year, placing first at the Inland Empire Championship with CheerPros and placing first at the JAMZ Regional Championship, where the team also won the overall Grand Champion title with a paid bill to Las Vegas,” said coach Allison Abbott.

Abbott mentioned that while some people may not think cheerleading is a sport, it indeed is.

“With all the jumping, tumbling, stunting, acrobatics and dancing the team members do, we all disagree with a big smile,” said Abbott. “[Team members] practice eight hours a week, cheer for multiple sporting events at Fallbrook High, fundraise, serve in their community, and work hard maintaining their grade point averages.”

Abbott said the team has eight students who carry a grade point average of 3.5 or above.

“It makes me so happy to see that with their busy lives they continue to remain focused on the importance of academics,” she said. “They truly worked hard to accomplish their goals this year and winning the National Champion title was a great way to end the season.”