Jen Darby and Jae Carr, the head coach and assistant coach for Champion Force of West Knox, a youth cheer program, have been with the team for seven years, successfully reaching a national competition every season.

This year the Wolf Pack had three teams that traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, in July to compete in the national championship held July 22-23. All teams earned their bids in the prior seasons to be able to attend this national competition.

The Wolf Pack Alpha Elite team (Division 5.4), in their first year of stepping up to the elite level, brought home second place in the nation, with zero deductions, having only one senior, Kali Mcmahan, who has competed on all three nationals teams. Coach Jen says of Kali, “Her smile and above and beyond commitment to the Wolf Pack will be greatly missed.”

Wolf Pack Omegas: Natalynn, Addilyn, Tatum, Evelyn, Joseph, Alexis, Neah, Autumn, Leyton, Kali, Isis

The Wolf Pack Omegas team (Division 3), placed third in the nation. This team consists of mainly 9- and 10-year-old competitors, who the coach describes as “showing no fear jumping onto the national stage for the first time, doing an unbelievable job. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for this team.”

Wolf Pack Alpha Cubs: Coach Jen, Chelsea, Aleigha, Delila, Madison, Coach Jean, Kali, Leyton Denia, Ellie, Coach Jae, Chloe, Zayla, Lexi, Malia and Anna.

The Wolf Pack Alpha Cubs team (Division 4) battled hard with some fierce competition, and came out ranked fifth in the nation.

To keep the costs and time commitments to a minimum, these athletes have only one practice a week to sharpen their routines. Again the coach praises the commitment and talent and welcomes others to join: “We are extraordinarily proud of their hard work and accomplishments, and if anyone is interested in joining the fun, we welcome children ages 4-18 with no experience necessary.”

For more information of Champion Force of West Knox, check out their Facebook.

Follow KnoxTNToday on Facebook and Instagram. Get all KnoxTNToday articles in one place with our Free Newsletter.