The Oglethorpe County Recreation Department cheerleading teams have started strong, with four podium finishes and three wins in their first two events.
Oglethorpe County has two teams, one competing in the 12u division and the other in the 9u division.
The two squads finished first and second in their groups at the North Georgia Youth Football Association Cheer Bowl hosted at Habersham Central on Oct. 19.
Oglethorpe County then dominated its divisions, with both teams earning first place at the Big Red Cheer Classic at Gainesville High School on Oct. 26.
Sandy Cross resident Cara Sexton, the coach of the 12u squad, has been coaching for almost a decade. She previously coached at Northwest Georgia Gymnastics Center, where she was also a gymnast prior to taking a coaching role.
“We have won first place for the last seven years in at least one of those two events,” Sexton said. “This would be the equivalent of us winning the league.”
Each team has about 20 girls of various ages, which allows them the ability to compete in different divisions.
While the girls are only on the mat for a few minutes, they spend months preparing the routine and then perfect it in front of an audience.
The cheer squads have one more competition, which will be in Jefferson next Sunday.