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Brentwood Press - BrentwoodPress_08.22.08 - Index

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August 22, 2008
H O M E S | D I N I N G | H E A LT H | r E c r E AT I O N | c L A S S I f I E D S
cheer coach does double duty
by Jennifer Birkland
Correspondent
When Shannon Leyen
assumed the head coaching position
of the Liberty High School cheer
squad, she did so with the purest of
intentions.
Already the coach of the
school’s dance team, Leyen, whose
daughter Megan is a varsity
cheerleader, saw how devastated the
program was by the resignation of
nine-year coach Koren Summers
and program advisor Jennifer
Watson at the end of last season.
Leyen is now pulling double
duty, leading both the dance and
cheer programs this year, allowing
Summers and Watson to take
a much-needed break without
completely leaving the program.
“Koren and Jen have done such
a fabulous job here that I wanted
to help them stay,” Leyen said. “I
told them I’d help out with the
cheerleaders since I’m already here
working with the dance team. It
means so much to these girls to keep
them involved with the program.”
Summers will continue
working with the cheerleaders on
stunts and tumbling while Watson
keeps the team’s schedule on
task. Leyen said this year will be a
learning experience for her.
“They’ve been doing this for
so long they’ve got it down to a
science,” Leyen said. “I’ve just got
to learn the formula.”
Leyen brought her newest
protégés to a Universal Cheerleading
Association spirit camp last month
at Cal State Monterey Bay, where
the Lady Lions earned “Superior”
marks in every category, took home
three team awards and saw five
members earn UCA all-star status.
Shelby Pastor, the team’s only
senior, along with juniors Rachel
Jackson, Lyndsey Murphy, Megan
Leyen and freshman Courtney
Local grapplers gain
valuable experience
at Junior Nationals
by Avi Burk
Staff Writer
In each of the last two years,
star Liberty wrestler David Rios
has come home from the Junior
Nationals competition in Fargo,
N.D. disappointed – left standing
emptyhanded at the cusp of earning
the title of All-American.
However, the third time was the
charm for Rios, who pushed across
the threshold in spectacular fashion
to qualify as an All-American in
the 145-pound Junior Freestyle
Division.
Liberty head coach Greg
Chappel, who also works with Rios
as part of the Delta Wrestling Club,
has been there for each of Rios’
trips to Junior Nationals, and was
elated to see him come away from
this year’s competition with an earwide
grin rather than a face long
with disappointment.
“I’ve seen the look on his face
the last two years when he didn’t
win, when a loss meant that you’re
finished, and I don’t know if he
had tears in his eyes, but he was
close. You could visibly tell that he
was pretty crushed,” said Chappel,
pointing out the stark contrast to
this year’s celebration. “Finally he
got that All-American status! He
jumped up off the mat with the
biggest grin on his face, clapping – it
was really neat to see. He finally got
that monkey off of his back.”
Rios, a senior, came out of the
Skaggs were required to perform
before the entire camp and a panel
of judges in order to become allstars
and earn an invitation to
march in the UCA Spirit Parade in
London in January.
“I wasn’t going to try out at
first, but Lyndsey (Murphy) talked
me into it,” Jackson said. “We had
to perform all the stuff we learned
at camp in front of everyone. It’s
pretty frightening. A lot of people
are watching you.”
Murphy saw the experience as
a time to shine. “I thought it was
After winning
a slew
of awards at
a recent spirit
camp, the
Liberty High
School cheerleaders
are
hard at work
on their 2008-
09 routine
that they hope
will land them
at nationals in
March.
Photo by
Jennifer Birkland
really fun because I like performing
in front of a lot of people,” she said.
“I think it’d be really fun to go to
London, but it’s really expensive, so
we’ll see.”
For four-time all-star Megan
Leyen, high-stakes tryouts are a
familiar experience. But for Skaggs,
Liberty’s only freshman to try out,
the experience was a characterbuilder.
“I was really nervous to try
out, but now I feel like I have a lot
more confidence,” Skaggs said.
see cheer page 6B
Photo by Richard Wisdom
Freshly crowned All-American David Rios, right, moves in for
a single-leg takedown on Freedom’s Nick Waldrop at a recent
Delta Wrestling Club practice.
gate on fire, breezing through his first
four opponents before stumbling on
his path to All-American status.
Rios entered the sixth match of
the event knowing that he needed a
win to advance, but found himself
squaring off with the fifth-ranked
145-pound Junior in the country,
and knew he had his hands full, as
his opponent had simply annihilated
each of his previous opponents.
Despite finding himself down
4-0 after a quick takedown and near
fall, Rios battled back, shooting in
see Wrestling page 6B
This Week
A taste of
Vietnam
Beauty isn’t merely in the eye
of the beholder; it’s in the
tastebuds.
Page 10B
BVAL retool
scrutinized
Our sports editor dissects the
pros and cons of the restructured
league.
Page 4B
Pats pummel
opposition
The Delta Patriots youth football
players and cheerleaders got the
season off to a triumphant start.
Page 2B
Puzzles and
Prophecies
You’ll find divine diversions on
our Sudoku and Horoscope
page.
Page 13B
Classified
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Page 12B