Head Competition Cheer Coach Bailee Meekings has had quite the year, and it’s only November. Earlier in the school year, Meekings won ‘Teacher of the Year’ for 2027.  She coaches the Falcons in competition cheer and gymnastics, runs the CHS Coffee Shop, and is heavily involved with the school’s Beach Buddies organization.

So, when the Falcon Competition Cheer, following Meekings’ lead, made history at the state competition at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), last week, the day couldn’t shine any brighter. The Lady Falcons ended their run with a 4th place finish. The last time the Competition Cheer team made it to the state championship was three years ago, where they placed 15th. Before 2022, they had never placed or even made it to the second round.

To get to this point, the team competed in the regional cheer competition at Green Run High School, where they earned second place in the region. There was only a 10-point difference between the Falcons and the first-place winner, the Kellam Knights.

The team has put in endless hours at the gym and has conditioned in the weight room to become strong enough together to build a perfect routine to showcase their teamwork and exceptional skills. And the brand new uniforms the team ‘donned’ this season, were worn as the girls rocked the floor in both regionals and states.

Meekings has expressed her gratitude to the team as she hopes to expand her team’s outreach in the future.

“This team was just very special; I already miss it and hope we can do this well next year,” Meekings said.