GREENFIELD — Even though cheer competition season has come to an end, Laken Rosing bashfully said her squad and their parents have ensured that she feels like a celebrity.
Greenfield-Central claimed State Runner Up in the Varsity B division of the Indiana High School Cheerleading State Championships on Saturday at New Castle High School. Pendleton Heights was named state champion, and New Palestine took third place.
Additionally, Rosing, Greenfield-Central head cheer coach, was awarded the title of 2018 Coach of the Year. Rosing was nominated and selected based on her years of experience and displaying outstanding work ethic in her coaching career, Chris Hammer, with the Department of Student Programs in the Indiana Association of School Principals, said.
The Cougars cheer squad and their coach are well-deserving of the accolades awarded to them Saturday, Greenfield-Central Athletic Director Jared Manning said.
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“Our cheer team, and especially our coach, Laken, they do a lot of stuff behind the scenes that nobody notices,” Manning said. “From going to ISTEP pep rallies at our elementary schools to showing up early on Friday mornings for pieces that get shot for TV. We truly look forward to the camaraderie they provide for us in building spirit in our school and corporation.”
Rosing said she was stunned and flattered by the nomination. The credit truly belongs to her squad’s senior leadership, she said.
Seniors Kloe Shockley, Haley Holden and Emma Scroggins were instrumental in the team’s development, Rosing said. Shockley and Holden were part of Greenfield-Central’s state championship team in 2016, and they are the first class in history to make the State Finals all four years of high school, she said.
Assistant coaches Jena Robinson and Katie Shockley are also responsible for growing the cheer program to what it is today, Rosing said.
Rosing said she was honored to even be considered for an award, but the real credit belongs to her team.
“Obviously, we as coaches are a lot harder on the squad than spectators,” Rosing said. “We see the tiny little technical flaws and mistakes there might be, and they’ve perfected themselves so much. To realize the impact that they’ve made as far as the program goes, this group is very special.”
