Radford athlete claims cheer title
Advertiser Staff
Radford High's Brittiany Broadwater won the individual title and two teams from Radford and one from Baldwin won titles in the 10th AmeriCheer National Cheerleading Championships held last week in Orlando, Fla.
Broadwater, a junior honor student, won the varsity individual national championship by defeating 14 qualifiers from across the nation.
BROADWATER
Radford's 12-member black team won the small coed varsity division (30 fewer with at least 2-4 males). Because it scored the highest among the 105 teams, Radford black earned the grand champion title.
Radford's nine-member white team won the novice varsity mount.
Baldwin's 12-member team won the small varsity division to earn the school its first national title.
"The kids are very, very excited and they showed why they are Maui's best," coach JoAnn Yap said.
Baldwin is the three-time champion of the Maui Interscholastic League.
Radford and Baldwin finished second and third in state competition behind Kamehameha, which also won a national title in February in Orlando.
Last week's competition drew about 4,000 in attendance and included 30 divisions. Hawai'i's contingent included 33 cheerleaders, six coaches and 14 parents.
Broadwater, 16, who moved here in the sixth grade from Columbia, S.C., beat an elite field Thursday despite rolling her ankle in warmups.
"I was more worried with the team (competition)," she said of her injured ankle.
Cheerleaders either had to finish 1-2 in a regional or video quality. From all the applicants, just 15 were chosen for the nationals. Broadwater submitted a video to AmeriCheer.
"I was pretty calm. I was more concerned about having fun. I love to perform," said Broadwater, who is a member of Drill Team Hawai'i and also competed in gymnastics years before.
"We had the Maui parents and cheerleaders along with my team chanting my name and my favorite spirit cheers. It pumped me up," she said. "By the time I got on I was all smiles."
Said her coach Bo Frank: "She was sharper than everybody. She out-tumbled and out-jumped everybody in the competition. She was clearly a step ahead."
Broadwater, who was Radford's class president last year and first vice president this year, also has been voted as the all-state Most Valuable Cheerleader.
Frank said Radford's victories were "really overwhelming, really exciting. The kids preformed the best all year. We nailed everything."
Said Broadwater: "I think it's very fitting that all the Hawai'i teams, anything they entered, they won."
The teams return to Honolulu tomorrow.
Baldwin
Edward Akahi, Jr.; Cheyenne Bruemmer-Beeson, Jr.; Krystle Casimiro, Sr.; Kimberly Guzman, So.; Jennifer Huntley, Sr.; Jaime Hurst, So.; Lia Kim, So.; Kimmy Kunihisa, So.; Jennie Nakamoto, Sr.; Chelsea Septimo, Jr.; Zeyuna Tabernero, Fr.; Anela Winn, Fr.
Head coach: JoAnn Yap. Assistant: Ann Saffery.
Radford black
Tamara Allen, Sr.; Brittiany Broadwater, Jr.; Brittany Cass, Fr.; David Carter, Jr.; Brittany Hamocon, Jr.; Monika Tacoronte, Jr.; Charlie Okada, Sr.; Kristina Salisbury, Jr.; Leon Knight, So.; Lawrence Lucius, Jr.; Keisha Pamaylaon, Fr.; Lasha Harris, Jr. Head coach: Bo Frank. Assistant: Thomas Luna. Advisor: Terri Cass.
Radford White
Reina Sumibcay, Sr.; Brittainey McElroy, Jr.; Shaylene Kershner, Sr.; Sherrie Buis, So.; Tysheena Jordan, Sr.; Demetria Cain, So.; Katie Cronin, So.; Katy Kinslow, So.; Roxie Gabriel, So. Head coach: Jackie Bolton. Assistant: Thomas Luna. Advisor: Terri Cass.
