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•🧑🎓 Who: Niceville High School Cheer team, Okaloosa County School Board, school officials, and coaches
•🏆 What: Recognition for winning the 2A state cheerleading championship for the sixth consecutive year
•📅 When: Monday night during the regular school board meeting
•📍 Where: Okaloosa County, Florida, with the competition held in Lakeland
•❓ Why: To celebrate the team’s historic achievement and acknowledge their dedication and hard work
Okaloosa County School Board Members recognized the Niceville High School Cheer team for their sixth consecutive state championship at Monday night’s regular school board meeting.
The team bested every other 2A team in the state competition held in Lakeland to earn the honor to continue the unprecedented streak.
RELATED: Niceville Wins Five Cheer Championships In a Row
“The day of the competition is not where a state championship is won. It’s all of the practices before that; it’s the summer. It’s the heat. It’s the arguing at times – and the [ability] to come together and be stronger because of it. Those are the life lessons that you are going to remember,” Superintendent Chambers told the twenty or so members of the team in attendance at the recognition.
“I know a lot of these girls personally,” said School Board Member for the Niceville and Valparaiso area Brett Hinely, “Of course, my daughter’s in the group there. So, a lot these girls have been subjected to my hazing in my household. But, very proud of you girls. I’ve seen y’all change over the years, in six straight years.” Hinely also acknowledged Tanya Hardin, the Ruckel Middle and Niceville High School Cheer Coach for her efforts to make the six-in-a-row champs. “She coaches Ruckel and Niceville, and has three kids. Kudos to you. I don’t know how you do it!”
RELATED: Niceville Cheerleaders Named #7 Squad in the USA
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Niceville High School Principal Charlie Marello reminded the crowd that the team had recently moved up a division – and faced ostensibly more difficult competition but had won another state championship anyway. “I’m sure next year, they’re going to they’re going to make a new division and put some college teams in there. And I got a feeling [Superintendent Chambers] we’ll be back here, having defeated several of those college teams.”
Head Coach Tanya Hardin acknowledged that the step in class was also a step up in competition. “This was probably our hardest-fought win out of all of the six,” Hardi said.
School Board Member Hinely’s daughter and cheer team member Eva Hinely also spoke in front of the crowd to celebrate the team’s win at state. She told the crowd that the sport taught her to be a better friend, leader, servant and teammate. “Thank you for being the best teammates and the best friends” she told her cohort from the front of the room.
