The Mt. Shasta High School Cheerleaders attended a National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) summer camp, last week, and received several team and individual awards. The camp was held at Anderson High School and attracted over 100 cheerleaders from 10 different schools.

The NCA selects award winners at each of the 1,000 camps it administers around the world each summer.  Founded in 1948 by L.R. Herkimer, NCA has been conducting camps for 60 years and holds events annually for 150, 000 cheerleaders and dancers world-wide.

The Bear cheerleaders received the Herkie TEAM Award. The Herkie, named after NCA founder, L.R. Herkimer, is awarded to the squad that exemplifies the qualities upon which NCA was founded. The qualities are leadership, values, and teamwork.

The girls also took Champion Chant honors. Teams compete with a chant that they learned during the camp.  Technical skills, as well as the ability to lead the crowd, are judged to select the winner.

The final team award was for spirit. The Spirit Stick is presented to the squad showing the most sincere spirit and enthusiasm throughout the entire camp. The Bear cheerleaders earned the spirit stick every day during camp and brought it home on the last day.

The Bears also earned various ribbons ranging from Excellent to Superior for performance evaluations from their NCA team coach.

Brenna Dyck (jumps), Miranda Waite (stunts), and Madison Melo (jumps) were nominated for All-American.

Bear cheerleader coach, Suzzanne Lunney, was exceptionally pleased with her girls’ performances.

“These girls were incredible. Every day they just improved a 1000 times more.  I was so proud of them for all of their hard work and effort they contributed each and every day.  We had a real fun time down there,” said Lunney