"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Sequoyah Cheerleader is First to Make All-Region

***"Symone Ross, Sequoyah’s All-Region Cheerleader"***

TAHLEQUAH, Oklahoma - Symone Ross likes to be first. She was the first born, the first in the family to attend school at Sequoyah and now she’s the first Sequoyah cheerleader to be named an all-region cheerleader. Ross, the captain of the Sequoyah cheerleading squad, tried out against 50 other high school seniors to earn one of 16 spots on the All-Region squad.

“Symone is one of the best cheerleaders that I have ever coached,” said Bonnie Griffin, Sequoyah Schools’ cheerleading coach. “She has amazing skills and is a great leader on our squad. I’m so proud of her for what she has accomplished.”

To try out, the cheerleaders had to perform one cheer, two jumps, one running tumbling pass and one standing tumble in front of the judges. Ross received lots of encouragement and direction from her cheer coach at Sequoyah.

“She is an amazing coach,” Ross said. “She definitely tries to push you as far as she can and she always believes in you.”

Ross will have the opportunity to try out for All-State on November 11. If she makes the All-State squad, she will get to cheer during the All-State football and basketball games in July and be honored during the annual OSSAA coaches’ clinic.

Ross will also be the first Sequoyah cheerleader to use her cheerleading skills in a professional way. She has been offered the opportunity to work for the National Cheerleader Association after graduation as a camp instructor and plans to take full advantage of the opportunity. She will also try out for several college cheerleading squads in the spring.

Symone Ross, 17, from Van Buren, Ark., is the daughter of Rhonda Ross and is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.