11th ANNUAL NCHSAA INVITATIONAL CHEERLEADING CHAMPIONSHIPS SET

RALEIGH— The 11th annual North Carolina High School Athletic Association state invitational cheerleading championships are scheduled for Saturday at the Raleigh Convention Center.

A record number of 140 teams have registered to compete in the event, featuring over 2,500 cheerleaders.

Competition will be held in 12 different categories. The doors open at 7:30 am and competition will begin at nine o’clock Saturday morning.

The Carolina Cup will also be awarded based on the scores achieved in the competition. Cheer Ltd., Inc., an NCHSAA corporate partner that assists with the invitational championship, established the Carolina Cup to recognize annually the top high school varsity cheerleading team in the state. The team that earns the highest cumulative score among varsity teams during the invitational championship earns the Cup.

Apex Middle Creek won the Cup last year with a score of 128.6.  Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons is the only school to win two Carolina Cups, earning the honor in 2007 and ‘12. Other winners include Ledford in 2010, Raleigh Millbrook in 2009, Jamestown Ragsdale in 2008, North Gaston in 2006 and Raleigh Sanderson took the Cup in its inaugural year in 2005.

The Raleigh Sports Consortium is the primary host city sponsor for the event.