PR2016 Mar 3 CHEER

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 3, 2016

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Media and Communication, 205.391.2959

mediacom@sheltonstate.edu

SHELTON STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE CHEERLEADERS

WIN NINTH CONSECUTIVE TITLE

Tuscaloosa, Alabama – The Shelton State Community College Cheerleaders earned the title of 2016 UCA National Champions on Saturday, January 16, in Orlando, Florida. The win marks the ninth consecutive national title for the Shelton State Cheerleaders and coach Christa Grizzle Sanford.

Sanford, now in her eleventh year at Shelton State, is described by her cheerleaders as determined, motivated, and tough, but someone who provides constant encouragement and support. “She is really like a mother to us,” said Devan Harris, a second-year cheerleader from Tuscaloosa majoring in nursing. “She is always telling us to ‘trust the system,’ even when we don’t understand it.”

For her cheerleaders, trusting the system means staying focused despite exhaustion, illnesses, injuries, and distractions. Sanford regularly lets her team know that a championship is not to be taken for granted. “We know that a national championship is never guaranteed,” said Will Coggins, another second-year cheerleader from Georgia. “There is always some worry about carrying on a winning tradition.”

This team carries on winning traditions both in and out of competition. Successful in their academic work, the team holds one of the highest average GPAs of any of Sanford’s squads. Additionally, they are not afraid to tackle obstacles. Without a large budget for competition travel, they worked together holding fundraisers and soliciting donations from local businesses and donors. When some of those efforts fell short, the team came together in a different way. “This team has a special bond. When it was clear that a fellow teammate was not going to be able to go, they pooled their Christmas money and made a way,” said Sanford. “I felt like we’d already won with just that.”

The Shelton State Cheerleaders and Coach Sanford will be honored at a celebration on Thursday, January 28, 2016, between the women’s and men’s basketball games against Gadsden State Community College. Admission is free for Shelton State faculty, staff, and students with a current ID, and $4 for general admission. For more information, visit sheltonstate.edu.

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