Local cheerleaders head to world championships

The ACE Cheer Company of Birmingham, a group of elite middle and high school cheerleaders across the state of Alabama, have earned their ticket to the US All Star Federation’s Cheerleading Worlds competition in April.

The ACE Warriors are a team of 30, including Hoover High students Erica Knight, Mell Kleman, Carlee Hopping and Tucker Hendrix and Spain Park students Abby Anglin and Victoria Whitten. Berry Middle students Haleigh Carlton and Avery Brune also made the team.

They won their bid to the world competition by winning the Spirit Brands Red Fox Championship in January and ranking Grand Champions among all Worlds-eligible cheerleading teams in the Southeast. The Warriors have competed in the Worlds every year since 2004.

TJ Cunningham, who works with the Warriors, said the USASF Worlds are exclusively open to Senior Level 5 cheerleaders, the highest ranking for high school athletes. Reaching that level requires mastery of difficult stunts, tumbling, pyramids and overall athleticism.

“It is truly an amazing competition to watch and an honor for the athletes competing,” Cunningham said.

The Warriors competed in the Cheersport Nationals and National Cheerleaders Association Nationals in February, and will show their talents again at the Universal Cheerleaders Association Nationals on March 12-13. 

Then they head to Orlando to compete against more than 10,000 cheerleaders and dancers at the USASF Worlds on April 23-25 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Disney World.