The 2021 championship wraps with Carolina Cup and inaugural Tar Heel Trophy presentations.
RALEIGH, NC – The NCHSAA Cheerleading Invitational returned to its usual home, the Raleigh Convention Center, after a year away due to COVID, with 132 registered routines and a brand-new trophy to present. In addition to the Carolina Cup, the award for the Varsity squad regardless of division posting the highest rated performance in the traditional competition, this year the “Game Day Division” presented the inaugural Tar Heel Trophy to the highest rated varsity squad regardless of division in the event.
The first awarding of the Tar Heel Trophy was enjoyed by West Forsyth’s Varsity squad, which posted a score of 95.6 to win the Varsity Game Day D1 Division in the event. The Carolina Cup, now in its 19th season, was collected by Northwest Guilford. The Vikings performance scored 89.1 to win the Small Varsity Non-Tumble D1 Division and the school’s first Carolina Cup.
Full results from all divisions are listed below this release.
About the 2020-21 NCHSAA Cheerleading Scholarship
The NCHSAA is proud to recognize and reward outstanding cheerleaders exemplifying sound character and academic standing, good sportsmanship, and school spirit by providing financial assistance in furthering his or her college or university education. The NCHSAA awards four $500 scholarships annually, one to a cheerleader in each of the NCHSAA’s four classifications.
To qualify, the recipient must be a college-bound senior varsity cheerleader at an NCHSAA member school. Recipients must be on a participating team at the NCHSAA Cheerleading Invitational for that year and be planning to enroll in an accredited institution of higher education in the year following graduation. Applicants must be well-rounded individuals demonstrating excellence in Cheerleading with an outstanding school spirit, community service involvement, and academics with a minimum average GPA of 3.0 throughout the student’s high school career.
Recipients are selected from qualified applicants that submitted essays and recommendation letters from their coach and other school personnel.
1A Cheerleading Scholarship Recipient – Kailyn Griffin – Union Academy
Kailyn Griffin is a 2-year member of the Union Academy Varsity Cheer program, and credits cheerleading for making her a more organized and confident person. She has assisted with several community service projects, impacting her community through several shelters and programs. She plans to attend the Carolinas College of Health Sciences and hopes to become a radiation therapist.
2A Cheerleading Scholarship Recipient – Avery Combs – Southwestern Randolph
Avery Combs has been involved with cheerleading since she was 4 years old. She credits cheerleading for personal strength and learning to lead. Avery has volunteered with middle school cheerleading programs by leading practices. She plans to attend East Carolina University in the fall.
3A Cheerleading Scholarship Recipient – Lauren Walker – Eastern Guilford
Lauren Walker has been a part of cheerleading since she was in kindergarten and uses the encouragement skills she has learned throughout her everyday life. She is very active in her church and plans to attend James Madison University in the fall.
4A Cheerleading Scholarship Recipient – Martha Kate Ferrell – Laney
Martha Kate Ferrell credits cheerleading to developing her leadership, integrity, mental and physical strength, and collaboration abilities. She served as a volunteer coach for the Special Olympics Cheerleading team and used her social media and design skills to create a school spirit Instagram account for Laney. Martha Kate plans to attend UNC-Chapel Hill in the fall and will major in Journalism and Media.
2021 NCHSAA Cheerleading Invitational
Final Results by Division
Large Varsity Coed
1 Leesville Road High School 77.95
Large Varsity Coed Non-Tumble D1
1 Topsail High School 70.3
2 Ashley High School 56.6
Large Varsity D1 Large Varsity D1
1 Lake Norman High School 88.2
2 Marvin Ridge High School 85.05
3 Cox Mill High School 77.05
4 Aycock High School 58.25
Large Varsity D2
1 South Lenoir High School 78.1
2 Southside High School 70.7
Large Varsity Non-Tumble D1
1 Pisgah High School 65.8
2 Southern Nash High School 62.8
3 Triton High School 61
Large Varsity Non-Tumble D2
1 Bear Grass Charter School 67
Medium Varsity Coed
1 A L Brown High School 74.4
2 North Johnston High School 56.3
Medium Varsity Coed Game Day
1 A L Brown High School 93.2
Medium Varsity D1
1 TC Roberson High School 73.1
2 Broughton High School 72.4
3 Hoggard High School 70.65
4 Weddington High School 69.3
5 Laney High School 69.15
6 Piedmont High School 68.1
7 Gray’s Creek High School 65.9
8 Hough High School 64.6
9 North Lincoln High School 64.2
10 Havelock High School 58.2
Medium Varsity D2
1 Princeton High School 77
2 Washington High School 75.2
3 Eastern Randolph High School 56.3
Medium Varsity Non-Tumble D1
1 Dixon High School 79.5
2 Purnell Swett High School 68.5
3 Pine Forest High School 67.7
Medium Varsity Non-Tumble D2
1 Goldsboro High School 69.5
2 West Columbus High School 68.7
3 Vance Charter School 67.9
4 Mountain Island Charter School 65.1
Small Varsity Coed
1 Conley High School 85.2
2 Heritage High School 81.2
3 Cleveland High School 79.9
4 Panther Creek High School 78.7
5 Holly Springs High School 75.3
6 Jack Britt High School 74.5
7 Ardrey Kell High School 73.9
8 Myers Park High School 69.6
9 Grimsley High School 67.65
10 Lake Norman Charter School 63.1
Union Pines High School
Small Varsity Coed Non-Tumble D1
1 North Pitt High School 65.7
Small Varsity Coed Non-Tumble D2
1 NC School of Science & Math 56.2
Small Varsity D1
1 Charlotte Catholic High School 84.8
2 Green Level High School 82.2
3 Apex Friendship High School 80.2
4 Corinth Holders High School 78.5
5 Middle Creek High School 77
6 Athens Drive High School 74.2
7 Sanderson High School 72.8
8 Apex High School 64.9
9 Millbrook High School 60.6
10 Cary High School 58.5
11 Southern Wayne High School 50.2
Harnett Central High School
Small Varsity D2
1 Cherryville High School 83.2
2 Southwestern Randolph High School 72.4
Small Varsity Non-Tumble D1
1 Northwest Guilford High School 89.1
2 Currituck County High School 76.8
3 Rocky Mount High School 68
4 Erwin High School 66.7
4 Northside High School 66.7
6 Eastern Guilford High School 66.2
7 North Henderson High School 65.7
8 Swansboro High School 62.2
9 Richlands High School 60.5
10 Smithfield-Selma High School 58.3
11 Reynolds High School 56.7
Franklin High School
Small Varsity Non-Tumble D2
1 Bunker Hill High School 68.8
2 Nash Central High School 66.8
3 Farmville Central High School 66.5
Super Varsity D1
1 Cardinal Gibbons High School 81.8
Super Varsity D2
1 East Gaston High School 74.9
2 South Point High School 70.1
Varsity Game Day D1
1 West Forsyth High School 95.6
2 Weddington High School 93.2
3 Conley High School 92.8
4 Davie County High School 92.1
5 South Caldwell High School 89.7
6 Oak Grove High School 89.6
7 North Lincoln High School 86.8
8 Ledford High School 85.9
9 Apex High School 84
10 Havelock High School 60
Varsity Game Day D2
1 Cherryville High School 87.7
2 East Davidson High School 87.3
3 Union Academy 85.5
4 East Gaston High School 81.4
Varsity Non-Building Game Day
1 Millbrook High School 83
2 East Lincoln High School 79.7
3 Pamlico County High School 76.5
Varsity Non-Tumbling Game Day D1
1 Southern Alamance High School 84.7
2 Lumberton High School 72.9
Purnell Swett High School
Varsity Non-Tumbling Game Day D2
1 West Columbus High School 87.8
2 St Pauls High School 87.7
3 Northeastern High School 84.9
4 Neuse Charter School 73.5
5 West Stokes High School 71.1
6 North Stokes High School 70.7
JV Game Day D1
1 A L Brown High School 80.8
2 Hough High School 79.4
3 Apex High School 78.8
4 Cox Mill High School 73.7
5 Northside High School 72.2
JV Non-Tumble D1
1 Eastern Guilford High School 72.8
2 West Carteret High School 71.8
3 Pisgah High School 68.7
4 Topsail High School 61
5 Athens Drive High School 57.6
6 Richlands High School 54.7
7 Purnell Swett High School 52.9
JV Non-Tumble D2
1 Maiden High School 67.5
Large JV D1
1 Apex High School 64.6
Small JV D1
1 Broughton High School 73.7
2 Heritage High School 73.5
3 Charlotte Catholic High School 71.7
4 Cleveland High School 70.6
5 Cardinal Gibbons High School 69.3
6 Apex Friendship High School 63.8
7 Millbrook High School 63.2
8 Holly Springs High School 58.1
9 Hoggard High School 57.8
10 Panther Creek High School 57.5
11 Middle Creek High School 54.3
