Cornwell is a Fox cheerleading perfectionist at heart
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- Published on Thursday, 25 October 2012 13:04
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She will never accept second best! A perfectionist at heart, Amanda Cornwell’s ultimate goal is to make the King George High School cheerleading program the best overall program in area high school cheerleading. Throughout her youth, the 2002 KGHS graduate developed a passion for cheerleading and gymnastics.
As the Foxes head competition, sideline varsity, and sideline junior varsity cheerleading coach, Cornwell’s hands-on approach is symbolic of her quest to take the Foxes to the next level. “The girls here are pretty much my whole life,” Cornwell said. “All year long, my world revolves around cheerleading. Now that we have the kids working all the way from the King George Youth Athletic Association (KGYAA) to the high school program, we are starting to develop a solid program.”
Former long-time Colonial Beach High School cheerleading coach Jennifer Grigsby assists Cornwell. North Stafford High School assistant cheerleading and Cheer Fusion coach Mandy Spina has taken over the job of choreographing the Foxes cheer performances this season.
Currently the Foxes cheer program has a total of 25 cheerleaders - 16 varsity, nine junior varsity. Most recently, the Foxes placed third in the Cosby Cheer for a Cure cheer competition.
The Foxes varsity sideline cheerleading team also doubles as the school’s competition team. “In my opinion it makes it easier on the coaches, and it looks better in the community,” Cornwell said. “If you place the girls out there who are driven to compete, the girls on the sideline are going to be amazing.”
Cornwell encourages her team to take personal responsibility for the present and future success of the program. “A requirement for the cheerleaders is to spend two days a month coaching the KGYAA squad,” Cornwell said.
To ensure a stronger feeder system, Cornwell is working with the middle school coaches, making sure that the girls who are coming into the high school program are well prepared.
Because the Foxes cheerleading program is smaller than the other schools in the district, they are still lacking state of the art equipment that their competitors have. In order to counteract equipment issues, Cornwell believes by starting them in the KGYAA. Aspiring cheerleaders will develop into strong tumblers at the varsity level.
During her high school years, Cornwell’s athletic extra-curricular time was divided into four sports disciplines: cheerleading, track & field (indoor and outdoor) field hockey, and gymnastics.
Cornwell and her teammates created the foundation for the current Foxes track & field program. “Because she was limber, cheerleading was how we noticed her,” Rudy Pekarek, KGHS girls’ outdoor head coach said. “Amanda was one of many great runners on the team at that time.”
After fighting through a series of knee injuries, Cornwell became one of the top 10 hurdlers in KGHS outdoor track & field history. During outdoor track she competed in the 100 and 300 meter hurdles—and in indoor track her specialty was the 55-meter hurdles.
As a member of the Foxes field hockey team she played the position of goal.
Cornwell was the complete student athlete. She was a member of the King George-based athletic honor society, the All Journal Athletic Scholastic Team.
After graduating from high school she attended community college where she received her associate’s degree.
While working as a dispatcher for the King George Sheriff’s Department, she earned her bachelor’s in graphic design online. After working with the federal government in Quantico, she earned a master’s degree in information systems.
Currently, she is employed by the Joint Warfare Analysis Center, in Dahlgren, in the cyber security division.
Leonard Banks, Sports editor
