Look at the “RC” on the front of Cooper’s cheerleader uniforms.
Randall K. Cooper High School is the Longbranch Road campus’ full name. After what the Jaguars did Dec. 9 at George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester, however, the RC could also mean “Recent Champion.”
Or maybe “Rightly Crowned.”
Whatever words you choose, Cooper’s state title is historic.
The Jaguars won the first Competitive Cheer state trophy since the Union school opened in 2008. It’s also the third state title in any sport – the girls bowling team won the team title in 2021, and Ranelle Ulanday finished first in singles the same year.
Next for Cooper: the Universal Cheerleaders Association national tournament Feb. 9-12 at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.
Cooper edged Somerset, 95.50-94.90, to win the All-Girls Medium Division. The Jaguars’ score was also better than Pikeville’s 94.20 in All-Girls Small and Bullitt East’s 93.80 in All-Girls Super.
“I was absolutely speechless when they called Somerset for second place,” senior Krisalyn Thompson said.
Today’s cheerleaders are nothing like what your parents or grandparents knew – they likely didn’t form pyramids or toss and catch teammates, and they didn’t have everything riding on a single 2 ½ -minute routine.
“It does take a lot to be able to compete in front of large crowds like that and be able to handle your nerves and your anxiety and still perform at the level that’s needed to compete,” seventh-year Cooper coach Katie James said.
Thompson knows pre-performance angst.
“I think I was on the verge of literally throwing up before I competed at state,” she said. “I was so nervous, and initially, whenever I took the mat, I could feel my body shaking. You only get one shot; you don’t want to do that one thing that can mess it up for your entire team.”
Cooper’s path to Orlando has taken many turns. Starting with James, a 2003 Ryle graduate.
“I coached in the Boone County Peewee Football leagues about 15 years and then transitioned into high school cheerleading,” James said. “I started coaching cheerleading for a neighbor while in high school. They needed somebody, and I’ve been coaching ever since.”
Thompson started cheering in fourth grade.
“My dad wanted to put my brothers in football and just decided that it would be a cool experience to be able to cheer for them,” she said.
Senior Makenna Mangus started cheering at age four. She was on the peewee football sidelines and stayed with it at Ballyshannon and Ockerman middle schools.
Mangus doesn’t remember much about the first days – just that it was fun.
“I used to do cheer and soccer, and my parents made me choose between the two,” Mangus said. “I chose cheer. I just loved the environment I was in … It made me happy.”
Lots of practice
You don’t just show up for the regional and state competitions – there’s lots and lots of practice.
“We practice three days a week, so I would say about 7 ½ to eight hours a week,” Thompson said. “Sometimes during competition weeks, we practice four or five days a week.”
In-season practices were just part of the training – in the summer, there were the mandatory three weekly, two-mile timed runs.
“(James) wanted all of our miles, each individual mile, to be under 10 minutes,” Thompson said.
Cooper won two all-girls divisions at the Region 5 meet Nov. 11 at Montgomery County – the Small over Nicholas County, 86.70-70.10, and the Medium over Dixie Heights, 79.60-76.90.
Thompson was pleased the team cheer was first in the regional program.
“It takes a lot of your energy, a lot of your breath to be screaming and trying to get the crowd involved in your routine,” she said.
Mangus said the first and last stunts are the most challenging.
“First stunt’s super-long, and so it kind of gets really tiring throughout the entire set,” Mangus said. “I have an injury in my hand, so it kind of hurts for the pyramid.”
The state program was much the same as the regional. Thompson remembers the Bow and Arrow, which calls for pulling one leg to the side of the head and gripping it with the opposite hand.
Schools pay nothing
There’s a misconception: neither Cooper nor the Boone County School District pays a dime of the $60,000 it will cost to go to Orlando.
James said the team started raising money in May and finished this month. She said hosting a Homecoming dance raised about $15,000, with parents and cheerleaders paying the rest.
“We sold peaches … we did trash cleanup after football games,” James said.
Cooper’s nationals program will likely include many of the elements they performed at regionals and state because they are sufficiently challenging. Between now and February, the goal is to correct minor imperfections – and be grateful for what they’ve achieved.
“I think it was just unbelievable because last year we didn’t even get to go to state,” Mangus said. “Coming from that to win state is just a huge accomplishment.”