Lakeland High School Cheerleaders Honored By City Commission

It wasn’t a pep rally, but it was an honor for the Lakeland High School cheerleaders when they were recognized at Monday’s City Commission meeting for winning state and national championship titles last month.

At the Florida High School Athletic Association’s competition, the team won first place in the 2A extra-large non-tumbling varsity division — a title they earned for the sixth year in a row. At the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championships, they won first place in the super non-tumbling division. Both competitions took place last month.

Mayor Pro Tem Stephanie Madden read the proclamation, declaring Monday to be “Lakeland Senior High School Varsity Cheerleader State Champion Day” in the city of Lakeland.

Madden lauded the squad for having demonstrated to their classmates “unwavering dedication, exceptional talent, and outstanding sportsmanship throughout the academic year, while also instilling in them the values of teamwork, perseverance, (and) determination.”

Their coach Crystal Abdon called the squad amazing.

“They work really hard; I don’t think people truly know how much work goes in behind the scenes,” Abdon said. “They are there on Friday nights and then they cover basketball and then, on top of that, they’re practicing a lot — four to five days a week after school for their competition … We tell them every year ‘pressure is a privilege.’”

Other area winners in the FHSAA competition are: George Jenkins High School, which came in fourth place in the medium non-tumbling division; Bartow High School, which won first place in the large co-ed division; Ridge Community High School in Davenport, which came in third in the large co-ed division; Auburndale High School, which came in fifth in the large non-tumbling division; and Winter Haven High School, which came in fifth in the medium co-ed division.