Cheerleaders from Ohio Xtreme Athletics (OXA), based at Mid Ohio Gymnastics, walked away with four first place titles at the Mindi Justice 2013 Winter Cheer Extravaganza on January 12, 2013.
The OXA squads earning first place trophies included Senior Team Level 3, Youth Team Level 1, Junior Prep Team Level, and Tiny Prep Team.
The competition, held at Riverdale High School in Mt. Blanchard, is held in honor of Mindi Justice and proceeds go towards the MKJ Scholarship. Mindi was killed in a car crash on May 10, 2009. She would have been a senior in the class of 2010 and was the captain of the Riverdale Varsity cheerleading teams for competition, football and basketball. Some of her cheerleading accomplishments include being named All-American as a UCA All-Star as a sophomore, member of Findlay Cheer Elite All-Star Team, Most Valuable Cheerleader three years, Leadership Award three years, and “Jump Off” and “Tumble Off” winner at several local cheer competitions.
OXA coach Nikki Vanderkooi said the competition was special because of the memory of Mindi.
“I’ve been to hundreds of competitions, but today as I watched the girls/boys on that floor I felt different. I kept glancing up at the banner that hung in the gym and I just kept thinking how lucky I am,” said Vanderkooi. “I watched her parent’s during opening ceremonies place her poms at center front floor and things that were forefront in my mind for competition as a coach suddenly disappeared.”
“I watched my daughter and hundreds of others on the floor and I felt lucky to have that privilege because Mindi’s parents lost that in her Senior year,” said Vanderkooi.
You can learn more about OXA at www.facebook.com/OhioXtremeAthletics.
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