The Middle Tennessee Cheer Classic is a fundraiser competition that has been hosted by Blackman High School for 16 years. It began with only 14 teams participating in the event, but this year it had 60 teams. 

This year was a new record with 60 teams participating. The event had about 1,000 participants. 

While the Blackman cheerleaders do not participate in the event, they do perform. They also create a hospitable environment for the other teams. 

Throughout the day, the event had over 3,000 spectators. To help with the large number of spectators, award ceremonies were held in the auditorium, while competitions were being held in the gym.  

“Using the auditorium helped with spectator overflow, social distancing, and allowed the event to finish more quickly,” stated Courtney Gregory, head cheerleading coach. 

“Although it is a huge event, we try to add special touches like team hosts and team classrooms to keep people’s belongings safe and to make them feel comfortable,” said Gregory. 

Blackman cheerleaders helped host the event and helped the other teams navigate it. The coaches and teams were provided hospitality rooms. 

“We pride ourselves in finding the most qualified and experienced judges, this year representing three states, in order to give the best feedback possible to teams as they into regional and state competition,” stated Gregory. 

The other teams look forward to the event because of their feedback, attention to detail, and the easy navigation.  

“It is a great experience to see many different teams come together to perform and show the crowd their best abilities. I enjoyed being in this environment because everyone was excited to be there” said senior cheerleader Leah Hughes. 

The Middle Tennessee Cheer Classic has grown and changed tremendously through the years and is now one of the premiere cheerleading competitions in Tennessee.