Spirited competition

By Michael Brooks

Sports Writer

    For the first time all three Jackson County high school participated in the UIL State Spirit Competition at the Fort Worth Convention Center. Industrial was the only squad that placed, but all three made lasting memories.

    “This is the fourth year for the UIL spirit Championships,” Competitive Coach Beth Turk said.  “The Industrial Squad has made finals all four years. In 2016 they placed third. Every year they are in medal contention going into Finals.”

    Each school performs a band dance, a cheer and a fight song dance. The cumulative total of the three are used to determine the teams that make the finals. Industrial placed fifth in the preliminaries with a 205.60 score that put them in the finals.

    “Due to a few rare mistakes in the finals, they placed 16th,” Turk said. “We had a very young squad. The very rare mistakes in the finals dropped us to the 16th ranking. The girls handled the disappointment with grace and dignity and I feel very blessed to have been allowed to be a part of something they love. By being a part of this cheer squad I know they have learned some valuable lessons; how to set goals, teamwork etc."

*For the full article, buy a Jackson County Herald Tribune newspaper or purchase an online subscription.