CALHOUN—Middle school athletics took another step forward on Saturday as all three schools traveled five hours north to Gordon Central High School in Calhoun for the ninth Annual Middle School Competitive Cheerleading Championships.

This is the first year that all three schools, Ebenezer Middle, Effingham County Middle and South Effingham Middle, fielded competitive cheerleading squads. Those three, along with 19 other schools from around the state, competed for the title of Middle School State Cheerleading Champion. Up against some tough competition from schools with much more experience in this event, the three schools represented themselves well.  South Effingham finished in the top 10 at 10, while Ebenezer finished at 16 and Effingham County finished 18 out of the 22 schools. All three schools and their parents should be very proud of their efforts.

Competitive cheerleading is a very subjective sport where five judges grade the squads on a combination of tumbling, dancing, stunts and, of course, cheers all choreographed to music. The biggest factors in determining the difference between first and. last is the level of difficulty of the tumbling and stunts and the coordinated efforts of the girls while they perform their two and a half minute routine.

Harrison Middle School from Kennesaw won the Championship, while Cartersville Middle School from Cartersville, was second and Lakeview Middle School from Lakeview was third.

The three schools from Effingham were the only middle school from the Coastal Empire represented at the competition.