“I am incredibly proud of our girls,” said Cheer Coach Crissy Meador. “Our two captains, Gracie Hamilton and Jaci Merritt have worked extremely hard to prepare the squad for nationals and it shows.”
In addition to placing second in the nation in the large varsity division, Hamilton was also awarded the coveted 2022 National Scholar Cheerleader of the Year and Coach Meador was named a finalist for the 2022 Cheer Coach of the Year.
The National Scholar Cheerleader award is a prestigious honor reserved for junior and senior students with a 4.0 GPA. FCC designates National Scholars as students who “possess the heart of a servant, demonstrate strong leadership, have the ability to effectively lead and communicate, are avid volunteers, and work to make their community a better place.”
Hamilton, who is a junior, has a been a Terrell High School cheerleader for three years. She is the current co-captain for the varsity squad, an officer for both the Leo and Interact Clubs, is ranked number six in her class, and has a 4.0 GPA for her classes at Terrell High School and Trinity Valley Community College.
“Gracie is incredibly deserving of this award,” said Meador. “She is the most kind-hearted person you will ever meet and is always looking for ways to put others before herself. For as long as I have known her, she is always the first to volunteer and step up wherever needed. It was great to see her recognized for all of her hard work.”
Meador, who is a THS alumna and the head cheer coach for the past five years, also received recognition at the FCC National competition as a Coach of the Year Finalist. The award recognizes coaches who “go over and above the job duties to lead a team, who look for the best in each cheerleader, and who encourage and push students to reach their full potential.”
“It was such an honor to be a finalist amongst such a large group of talented coaches,” said Meador. “My goal as a coach is to develop these girls into more than just cheerleaders. It is really about ambassadorship and developing strong leaders who put their heart and soul into everything they do.”
The THS cheerleading team received high praise from the judging team at nationals with remarks that complimented the team’s synchronization and stunting noting they were the best they had seen at the competition.
Congratulations to the Terrell High School cheerleading squad on these tremendous accomplishments.