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Jayden Singleton, a Savannah Christian Preparatory School (SCPS) senior, was named the Georgia Cheerleading Coaches Association (GCCA)  Class 1A–4A Cheerleader of the Year for 2023. Singleton is the GCCA is the first Savannah Christian cheerleader to win this award. Jayden earned a spot on the GCCA all-state team with this title.

PHOTO - GCCA 2023 Cheerleader of the Year Jayden Singleton

The selection of the Cheerleader of the Year involves several steps. This year, 150 applications total were put forward by coaches from throughout the state of Georgia. The judges afterward reduced the candidate pool to 30 girls and selected them for the 2023 GCCA 1A-4A All-State Team. 

The GCCA then had the chosen cheerleaders compete for the title of Cheerleader of the Year on Saturday, August 5th, at Columbus State University. In addition to Jayden, her teammate Grace Stoever was also selected to the All-State team.

Grace Stoever, a senior, also was honored and chosen to the Allstate A-4A Team for her performance. The GCCA All-State Team selects the top 16 cheerleaders from the 30 who competed in the GCCA Cheerleader of the Year A-4A Team competition.

PHOTO: (ll-r) GCCA All-State Jayden Singleton & Grace Stoever

"This is the first time in school history two cheerleaders from Savannah Christian have earned this recognition in the same year," said Charita Bowers, head coach of SCPS Cheerleading. "Both girls were phenomenal, and both deserved to be all-state. It was unbelievable."

Both Raider cheerleaders performed a routine that included tumbling, jumps, cheer, dancing, and group stunts. Fifty percent of their score was from their physical performance, and the other was from their application and interview on the day of the competition.

"Jayden performance stood out above all the others and was flawless," said Coach Bowers. "Her performance was so natural, and she sold it to the judges." 

It was a rewarding experience, stated Singleton. "It was just so rewarding because, I mean, your whole entire high school career, you have watched the previous cheerleaders at Savannah Christian. I just enjoyed it so much, and me finally being able to be in those past cheerleader shoes and experiencing the whole championship day meant a lot to me. It was something I definitely looked forward to and so memorable," said Jayden. 

She also stated that her coaches, family, and friends attended the championship, making the experience even more special. "I am super blessed. My whole family and friends drove 3 1/2 hours to come and support me, and they're all wearing T-shirts with my name on them. They were screaming my name as loud as they possibly could. So that definitely made me feel super loved, and of course, my really supportive coaches were there also. It was just a day I will never forget. It was super fun, and I loved it." 

On top of it being the GCCA Cheerleader of the Year, the GCCA also awarded Jayden a monetary scholarship for winning the competition.

PHOTO CREDIT: Savannah Christian Preparatory School Athletic Department social media page

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