Choctaw cheerleaders win state

By WILL PARCHMAN

Northwest Florida Daily News
315-4484 | willp@nwfdailynews.com

FORT WALTON BEACH - The odds were heavily stacked against the Choctawhatchee cheerleading squad in 2009.

First-year coach Britney Onianwa - a former Choctaw cheerleader herself - assumed a squad making a switch to a completely different style of cheerleading featuring a whole new method of scoring. That meant tireless adaptation over the summer months, including work with an accomplished choreographer from California and a number of nuanced stylistic alterations.

The team had won four straight state titles under the previous coach, Brooke Lord, and the previous cheerleading style, so the nucleus of a winner was certainly in place, but much had changed since then.

An impressive run at the national meet in Orlando and a state title later, the Indians are the ones sharing in the last laugh.

"It was a crazy year," Onianwa said. "It was a transitional year for sure. But I think we came out of this year really pleased."

The results might have surprised outsiders, but the Choctaw cheerleaders could sense something in the offing from early on. The team made it through a grueling football season before qualifying for the national tournament at the Orlando Wide World of Sports complex. The team finished 8th out of 35 squads there, a portent of things to come.

Then, out of a 16-team field in the state tournament on March 13, Choctaw posted a final score of 449 to take home another state title to expand what's becoming quite an impressive trophy case.

"We wanted to represent this panhandle area in our state," Onianwa said.

The winning squad was led by captain Kaysie Hanle and co-captains Jordan Whitehead and Brooke Ray. The team consisted of Emerald Black, Katie Kuhlman, Kiley Bechtel, Joey Davis, Killian Parker, Caroline Hambley, Camille Dougherty, Shaniquia Anthony, Jennifer Fimiani, Bailee Hanle, Macey Buchanan, Ashleigh Vinson, Mason Burkett, Tiffany Pitchford, Kady Hinton, Cameron Groves and Courtney Smith.

Alternates were senior advisor Danielle Fowler, Haley Shelton, Kourtney Estep, Aavery Floyd, Hailey Turner, Samantha Reyes and Emily Sherman. The Indians were assisted by Lalainya Steele and the student manager was Devon Roach.