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Published Monday, November 14, 2011 in Sports

Special

Northgate's 2011 state champion competitive cheer team, coached by Sarah Frazier (at far left), includes Morgan Smith, Taylor Swinney, Lauren Autrey, Taylor Courson, Kionna Hanson, Carly Vanderwater, Sidney Halus, Molly Ponder, Candice Wycoff, Morgin Ward, Breanna Burns, Montana Cole, Kendal Foreman, Kayla Westbrook, Chelsea Spates, Natalie Dyer, Shelby Trowell, Brooke Stephens, Shannon Evans, Rachael Gautreau and Rachel Trosclair.

Latest Northgate cheer title one for the record books

By Chris Goltermann

The Newnan Times-Herald

This morning's "Walk of Champions" at Northgate has become somewhat routine for its competitive cheerleading team.

This fall at the high school, the honor, which allows its championship teams to parade through the halls in front of classmates, teachers and administrators, has nearly been a weekly ritual.

But the joy of winning another state championship sure hasn't waned.

Northgate's 2011 squad earned the program's fifth consecutive Class AAAA title on Saturday at the Columbus Civic Center. Head coach Sarah Frazier's team scored 276 points among judging, outdistancing Johns Creek and a hometown Northside squad. Lambert took fourth.

"There are lots of good schools in our classification, so it's tough," Frazier said. "Every year it's another challenge for them. Really, I didn't know how it was going to turn out."

This time around, new judging standards imposed by the Georgia High School Association that measured excellence in 10 categories, provided another hurdle to clear in addition to the level of competition.

As she has every year, the Northgate coach stayed outside the doors to the arena floor while other teams competed, only entering to observe her own squad. But after performing early in Saturday's competition featuring state qualifiers from all five classification, Frazier exited knowing her girls had left everything they had on the floor.

"It was our best performance of the year. Our goal prior to today was to do our absolute best," she said. "To be honest we were all at peace when we walked off the floor. I told the girls, 'we have to be OK with whatever the decision of the judges was, because we had done our best.'"

With each added state championship, the program has cemented a legacy now unprecedented in Georgia high school cheerleading, with Saturday's title eclipsing a string of four Class A championships by Commerce from 2001-05.

Only Walton's eight consecutive girls tennis titles trumps Northgate's achievement among current high school sports programs. Buford's football team and the wrestling program at Collins Hill also have chances to earn fifth consecutive state titles this school year.

In many ways, this year's Northgate squad is the most talented to date, thanks in part to the champions that have preceded them.

"Honestly, I think so," Frazier answered when asked how the five championship teams compare. "I care about every group that comes through. But every grade learns from the grade above them. Each year the team comes back with a little bit more attention to details. They learn from one another and the work ethic shows."

Even this year's theme revolved around tradition with part of its cheer resonating "the faces may change, but the name stays the same."

Frazier coordinated all the jumps and stunts while continuing to team with Happy Hoover on the overall routine.

"We've worked together the past eight years and we've had a real good working relationship," she said. "He's able to take a look at it and add his ideas on things."

Just like Northgate's state champion softball team and its current 11-0 football team this fall, this year's cheerleading championship has been a product of preparation dating to well before the school year begins. Frazier said her team is already beginning to work on a new routine in the opening days of summer.

"I'll say it again. We've been truly blessed with great girls," Frazier said. "They work hard and they're extremely dedicated. We're just so proud of them."

Team members Morgan Smith, Taylor Swinney, Lauren Autrey, Taylor Courson, Kionna Hanson, Carly Vanderwater, Sidney Halus, Molly Ponder, Candice Wycoff, Morgin Ward, Breanna Burns, Montana Cole, Kendal Foreman Kayla Westbrook, Chelsea Spates, Natalie Dyer, Shelby Trowell, Brooke Stephens, Shannon Evans, Rachael Gautreau and Rachel Trosclair.

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