ASHLYN PACE – Hoof Prints Staff

The night before the cheerleading competition the exhaustion, frustration, and stress took over.
Senior cheerleader Jordan Vaughn literally hit rock bottom, resulting in a concussion that called
off the competition.

“Me and Leigh were doing a stunt and I was on the base and she pretty much just fell on me and
like led my head to the ground with her hand, I smashed my head on the ground” Jordan said.

Brutal doesn’t even describe the weeks the cheerleaders have endured. With the upcoming
competition they had been practicing almost every day and this wasn’t Jordan’s first concussion.

“I shut my head in my trunk, I was getting my cheer shoes out and I just shut it before my head
was out of the way” Jordan said.

There seems to be a pattern to the injuries.

“Connor hurt her back, she has scoliosis, and she almost had to get stitches because she busted
her lip,” Jordan said. “Courtney thinks she has a cracked rib and yesterday at practice Callyn and Emily got their lips busted. It’s pretty rough.”

According to Jordan’s doctor, he has seen more injuries from cheerleading than any other sport,
including football. She may have received those words of advice a little too late.

“Mr. Rose told me I could not cheer or do any kind of cheerleading event until I got cleared by a doctor and it was 8:30 p.m. already so Mrs. Crosskno just cancelled the competition,” Jordan said. “We’re going to just go to state”

At least there is a light at the end of the traumatic injuries. The cheerleaders will still be
competing at the state competition and hopefully, without any concussions.