By Nicole Burns
On August 4, 2018, at the Georgia Cheerleading Coaches Association annual Cheerleader of the Year competition held at Columbus State University, a young lady accomplished something no other has in Buford High School history. Buford senior Camille Cowherd became the first Buford cheerleader to ever make the GCCA all-state team.
Competition Cheer Coach Heather Jenkins nominated Camille for Cheerleader of the Year. She felt that Camille had the skills, work ethic, and academics necessary to compete. Jenkins has coached Camille for the last three years and states that Camille is a “role model to her peers and classmates and those who are younger.”
Camille has been a part of Buford High School’s Competition Cheer team for all four years and is also part of the Varsity Sideline Cheer team. She is one of four captains for sideline cheer during her senior year.
Coach Jenkins submitted an application in May to enter Camille into the competition. Camille had to complete the essay portion of the application. Sources said that over 300 girls were nominated this year. The most ever entered. From this pool, only 40 were invited to the competition and interview round.
In Columbus, the 40 young ladies had to perform a two minute routine and be interviewed by the judges. For the performance, Camille had to perform most of her routine by herself but had three Buford cheerleaders assist her in the stunt portions of her routine. The three assisting her were Avery Kate Barton – freshman, Kylee Schulman – freshman, and Gracie Martin – senior. There to cheer Camille and her stunt squad on was her mother Rachel McDaniel, Coach Heather Jenkins, Assistant Coach Melissa Carr, and teammate Macy Milton.
Following her routine performance was the interview. Camille was asked series of questions. These cold questions were designed to test her poise, intelligence, character, and personality.
“Camille is the first cheerleader from Buford HS to have been nominated to earned this accolade. ”
After all was completed and the judges returned to name Camille as one of the sixteen girls to make the GCCA All-state team. One of these sixteen girls will be named the 2018 Cheerleader of the Year at the conclusion of the state cheerleading championships in Columbus on November 10th.
Coach Jenkins tells The Voice, “Camille is the first cheerleader from Buford HS to have been nominated to earned this accolade. We are tremendously proud of her accomplishment and the way she went and represented herself, her team, school, and community. We could not be more proud of her. She’s the kind of athlete every coach dreams of having.”
