Preston High School (PHS) junior Madison Adams (daughter of Lindsay & Bryan Adams of Reedsville) was recently named Big 10 All Conference cheerleader. According to PHS Varsity Cheer Coach Tina Silcott, Adams was selected based on several factors including “she is an excellent athlete; she is always at practice and rarely misses; she is a leader by example; and she is always prepared.” Silcott said this honor is bestowed upon cheerleaders who have cheered the entire cheer season (which includes football, cheer competition, and boys’ basketball), has at least an overall cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0, demonstrates leadership skills, has good attendance, and demonstrates extra skills that a student athlete may possess. The number of all conference cheerleaders assigned to a school is determined by where the school places in the Big 10 Cheer Competition. This year PHS placed 10th allowing for the selection of one PHS cheerleader to the Big 10 All Conference.
The process of selecting the All-Conference Cheerleader is usually determined by the aforementioned factors, but also the cheer coaches from conference meet to discuss as a group the individual students. The coaches review film and come to a consensus of which cheerleaders meet the criteria for selection.
In addition to the honor of being named Big 10 All Conference Cheerleader, the student receives a medal and attends a recognition banquet for those athletes. Additionally, the PHS Big 10 All Conference cheerleader is highlighted during the Buckwheat Festival School Day Parade as she rides in the parade. The honor is also added to the student’s academic resume for colleges and potential collegiate level athletic selection.
Silcott said Adams was very surprised when she was selected as the Big 10 All Conference Cheerleader for PHS. “She said she really didn’t expect it,” Silcott said.
Adams said she started cheering around the age of 5. She cheered for the Cougars little league, West Preston & Preston Squires for middle school, and competitively at CTA in Morgantown. Adams said she was really surprised and very excited to receive the honor and added that “it is a great honor to be chosen out of everyone.” She plans to add the accolade to her academic resume to demonstrate leadership skills, dedication, and hard work to colleges. Her future plans include attending West Virginia University in the pre-dental program with hopes of attending dental school. Adams said her advice to other cheerleaders would be to “always put in a lot of effort, work hard, and continue to get better.”