Meet The Judges

The Cheerleading Worlds judges are often those nominated by member Event Producers who send bid-winning teams to Worlds and/or are judges in good standing who have previously judged the Worlds event. Applicants must confirm their ability to sit on the judging panel based upon established criteria and must undergo an approved background check, complete athlete abuse prevention education, and sign a statement of confidentiality and ethical behavior as a person serving in any Worlds judging capacity. A Judge Selection Committee comprised of Worlds officials, Event Producers and industry experts, looks for well-rounded judging panels that include diversity, geographic locations, judging backgrounds and expertise and other criteria/qualifications. Upon review of each prospective judge’s application, committee members rate and review each applicant with their qualifications to adjudicate the Worlds event. Upon selection, judges undergo virtual and onsite training and once at the event will take an oath to remain impartial, evaluating all teams fairly without prejudice or bias based on their performance at Worlds.

Official/Admin

Scott Bouchard

Scott Bouchard is the Former Head Coach for the five-time NCA Division II/III All-Girl National Championship Team, The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. Scott has judged, coached, and choreographed at the high school, college and All Star levels for 25 years. He has been a credentialing instructor for the USASF in the Northeast since its inception. Scott most recently served on the USASF Rules Committee and has been part of numerous boards and committees throughout his career. He is a USASF-certified Legality Official and judges numerous local, national, and international All Star competitions, including The Cheerleading Worlds. In addition, he is a former Brand Manager/Owner of the Event Producing company, Advanced SPIRIT Association. He believes teams are most successful when coaches create an environment for athletes where they continuously strive to accomplish individual and team goals while having fun along the way!

Dana Fielding

Dana Fielding is the Director of Rules and Scoring for the USASF and Director of The Cheerleading Worlds. She has been involved in cheer for over 30 years as a coach, judge, and legality official and is the former IASF Executive Director and former Director of Rules and Standards for the ICU. She oversees all legality official training and coaches education both nationally and internationally and has been involved in The Cheerleading Worlds for the past 10 years.

Andrei Grier

Andrei Grier was a former cheerleader at the University of South Carolina. He served as head coach at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for many years. Andrei later went on to serve as head coach at the University of South Carolina, where the excellence continued. Andrei Grier is the former owner of Cheers’ All-Star Cheerleading Gym, where he is best known for his award-winning choreography in cheer and dance. He brings to the table 29 years of judging experience on a national level and is a 15-year veteran judge of The Cheerleading Worlds.

Marcy Kuzemchak

Marcy Kuzemchak is the current IASF Scoring Director, assisting with the development of the scoring system and education components for the IASF comparative scoring system. Formerly the Chair of the Cheer Canada Officials Development Committee, she helped to train and develop cheerleading adjudicators on the comparative score sheet. With two decades of coaching and adjudication experience, she regularly judges across the globe. Marcy is a certified IASF Safety Judge, former ICU credentialer, and National Team program coach.

David McCoy

David McCoy has been engaged in the cheerleading world for more than 30 years as an athlete, coach, choreographer, and judge. He is a graduate of Purdue University where he was a member of the NCA College National Team. David has coached all levels in the All Star setting achieving numerous national titles from widely recognized prestigious national event producers. For the last 15 years, David judges for multiple brands spanning across the United States and Canada. David currently resides in Pennsylvania where he is a nursing administrator.

Katie Morgan

Originally from Plymouth, MI, Katie Morgan now resides in Tuscaloosa, AL. She cheered for Plymouth-Salem High School finishing in the top 10 all four years at the UCA High School Championship. She competed and qualified for partner stunts during high school. Katie cheered at the University of Alabama and began judging and coaching in 2006 after cheering at the university level. She has judged on the high school and All Star levels for both UCA and NCA.

Tyler Phillips

Tyler Phillips serves as the Senior Event Manager of Scoring and Rules for the USASF. He started his career in 2010 as the Director of Scoring and the Midwest Customer Service Representative for CHEERSPORT and Universal Spirit. Tyler was the Camp Director for multiple years and oversaw camp operations for CHEERSPORT’s Skills and Choreography Camps. You will often find him serving as the Scoring Official at many in-season All Star events, which utilize the USASF Scoring System. He is a USASF legality-certified judge and has had the pleasure of judging multiple international World Bid events throughout his tenure.

Stand Directors

Mike Burgess

Mike Burgess

The President/Brand Manager of the United Spirit Association, Mike Burgess is a graduate of UCLA with a master’s in education and is a former member of the Bruin Cheerleading Squad. Production credits include halftime shows for NFL, NBA, and collegiate games. Mike has spent the past 30 years helping to develop instructor training programs and advisor’s/director’s workshops for the United Spirit Association. He has presented at numerous state, national, and international association conferences in addition to being a Head Instructor/Event Director for hundreds of camps, competitions, and clinics. He is a former Board member of the United States All Star Federation (USASF). Mike has been in the cheerleading/dance/band industry for over 35 years.

Lisa Hemmie

Lisa Hemmie has been in the spirit industry for over 36 years as a club owner, participant, coach, international judge, and guest speaker. Her expertise as a judge has enabled her to travel both nationally and internationally and she has worked with numerous major event producers along with bringing her knowledge of the sport to the judging table at The Cheerleading Worlds and The Summit. Lisa believes that the industry should strive for consistency in best practices and has served on numerous national boards that advise and direct the cheerleading industry. She maintains USAG, AACCA, NAYS, SafeSport, and WHO safety certifications. Lisa resides in California. She works in the entertainment industry, is a spirit industry consultant, founder of American Sports & Entertainment, and is a red carpet event coordinator for the Veterans of War Aid Foundation.

Scott Williams

Scott Williams is the Varsity Southeast Region Logistics Supervisor and has been involved in cheerleading for 42 years. A graduate of Appalachian State University, he holds a Master’s degree in Child and Adolescent Psychology. At ASU, he was captain, a four-year varsity letter cheerleader, and a national championship squad member. He is recognized internationally as a coach, choreographer, judge, and speaker.

Venue Scoring Manager

Allison Stallings

Allison Stallings is a former competitive cheerleader at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she earned her degree in psychology and communications. After years of coaching recreational, All Star, and collegiate cheerleading, she found her true passion in judging and scoring. She worked in the cheerleading industry for over 20 years as a judge coordinator, scoring director, and customer service representative. She is honored for this to be her 17th year at The Cheerleading Worlds.

Jodi Sweet

Jodi Sweet is a graduate and former cheerleader of the University of San Diego. A former Head Instructor and Cheerleading Program Director for the United Spirit Association, she has been involved with competitive cheerleading for over 40 years. Jodi has judged and directed numerous competitions at the junior high, high school, and college levels, both nationally and internationally, including The Cheerleading Worlds consecutively from 2004-2024. She has judged regional and national competitions for USA, NCA, ACA, PacWest, ALOHA, WSF, American Championships, CHEERSPORT, and Organizacion Nacional de Porristas (ONP), to name a few. Currently, Jodi is the Judge Operations Specialist for Varsity All-Star Western region.

Tiffany Releford

Tiffany Releford is a native of Columbia, Maryland with over 20 years of cheerleading experience. She was a three-time NCA All-American in high school and cheered for three years at the University of Maryland College Park. She cheered for NFL Europe in Barcelona, Spain, and performed in the opening ceremony of the 1999 Olympics. Tiffany also cheered for the NFL Baltimore Ravens for four years and was the Ravens first Pro-Bowl Cheerleader in 1999 Pro-Bowl Cheerleader as well as part of the Superbowl XXXV cheerleading team. While with the Ravens, Tiffany traveled to the Middle East on a USO tour and visited other local military bases to entertain our troops. Tiffany judges international, local, regional, and national competitions a year, including having served as a Head Judge at The Cheerleading Worlds. When not cheering, Tiffany is a Partner at a law firm.

Building

Tracy Bonyad

Tracy Bonyad, from Montreal, Canada, boasts a remarkable 30-year journey in the cheerleading industry, with an impressive 15 years dedicated to judging. Her expertise extends across prominent Canadian event producers/provincial associations such as Cheer Quebec, CheerExpo, Canadian Cheer Evolution, Newfoundland & Labrador Cheerleading Athletics, Kick’s Cheer & Events, Ontario Cheerleading Federation, and Sapphire Productions. Crossing borders into the USA, Tracy has left her mark as a judge for NCA, CHEERSPORT, Universal Spirit, Champion Spirit Group, and The ONE. Notably, she has served as panel judge at The Cheerleading Worlds and the British Cheerleading Association since 2015, showcasing her discerning eye and commitment to the global cheerleading community. Tracy’s wealth of experience reflects her unwavering dedication to fostering excellence in cheerleading competitions on both national and international stages.

Marco Daniels

Marco Daniels has been involved in judging for the past 18 years with both National Federations and the All Star Community in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the UK, France, the USA and Australia. As an athlete and coach, he has attended and won numerous National and International events. Outside of judging, Marco works to further promote the sport of Cheerleading in Germany and Europe.

Jeannette DeGraffenried

Jeannette DeGraffenried has over 30 years of experience in judging. She taught cheer for 21 years, tumbling for over 23 years and dance for 23 years. She has judged the USASF World’s for the past six years. She has judged for USA, NCA, UCA, ACA, PacWest, American Championships, CHEERSPORT, Winners’ Choice and JAMZ. Jeannette has had the opportunity to go to Japan, New Zealand, Australia and Mexico to judge their cheer nationals. She cheered at Weber State University and at Utah Valley State College, where she was captain. She was a member of ACT – Athletes Coming Together. Jeannette graduated from Utah Valley State College with a degree in business. She was the cheer advisor/coach for Utah Valley State College for eight years where she took her team to USA and NCA’s nationals and placed in the top 10 three times. She worked with the United Spirit Association for over 25 years as head instructor and has helped choreograph for NFL half-time shows, receiving USA’s “Rookie of the Year”. She is the proud mother of four beautiful children!

Lance Emery

Lance Emery has over 30 years of experience judging across All Star, college, high school and recreation cheerleading. He has judged The Cheerleading Worlds Championship since 2006. Lance has judged world qualifying events across the United States, Canada, Australia and England for NCA, ACDA, Canadian Cheer Evolution, Canadian Cheer for the Cure, Future Cheer (UK), and the Australian All Star Cheerleading Federation. In addition, he has judged the NCA Collegiate National Championships in Daytona, FL since 2008. Lance is a former Purdue University cheerleader and International Cheerleading Foundation (ICF) head instructor. He currently serves on the Officials Advisory Committee and the Competitive Cheerleading Advisory Committee for the Illinois High School Association. Outside of cheerleading, Lance is a Chief People Officer for Aon. Lance, his husband Ian, and their two children reside in the suburbs of Chicago, IL.

Jeri Francis

Jeri Francis, hailing from Jacksonville, FL, boasts over two decades of immersion in All Star Cheerleading. She has been part of various roles within the US All Star Federation (USASF) since its inception. As a seasoned consultant, coach, choreographer, judge, and scoring director, Jeri possesses a comprehensive understanding of every facet of the sport. With training and certification, she has diligently judged recreational, school, and All Star cheerleading for more than 15 years. Her expertise has earned her the esteemed privilege of adjudicating The Cheerleading World Championship multiple times. Beyond the borders of the United States, Jeri’s influence extends globally, having adjudicated competitions in Japan, Sweden, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Notably, she has collaborated extensively with the Swedish Cheerleading Federation, contributing to judges’ education and training initiatives. Jeri’s unwavering dedication to the sport and multifaceted expertise continue to elevate the standards of cheerleading worldwide.

Suzanne Garrett

Suzie Garrett has over 30 years of cheerleading experience. In New Jersey, where she grew up, she cheered and competed at the rec, high school, and college level. Her coaching career started in Maryland where she coached a nationally ranked high school team, at three different All Star gyms, and coached and choreographed routines for her local recreation program. As a Southwest Florida resident, Suzie works full time as a middle school instructional coach at a K-8 school for the arts and is also the Athletic Director for her school. She has been judging for over 20 years for many different Varsity brands, Independent Event Producers, high schools in Maryland, Delaware, and Florida, and for YCADA Pop Warner. She has judged numerous National and International Events, as well as The Cheerleading Worlds, The Summit, The D2 Summit, and The One.

Tracy Gatlin

Tracy Gatlin has over 25 years of experience in the cheer industry as an athlete, coach, and judge. Tracy has experience as a high school, All Star, and collegiate cheerleader. She has 13 years of coaching experience in the All Star and high school industries. Some of her favorite high school coaching memories include winning the Maryland regional championship in a division of 20 teams and two runner-up state championship titles. Tracy has also coached All Star teams to national ranked titles. She has 21 years of judging experience as a panel, head, and in AccuScore. She also event and floor manages several local, regional, and national cheerleading competitions. Tracy holds an M.A. in Leadership in Education: Administration and Supervision and is currently an Assistant Principal in Anne Arundel County, MD. She lives in Pasadena, MD, with her husband, two sons, and daughter.

Courtney Hansen

Courtney Hansen has been involved in the cheerleading industry for over 29 years after her transition from competitive gymnastics. She is a former Brigham Young University cheerleader and has coached and choreographed for teams across the Western United States including a national championship coed high school squad. She has worked for the United Spirit Association as an instructor, judge and head judge for 25 years. She has also judged many prestigious All Star events for NCA, UCA, ACA, JAMZ, as well as the Summit. Courtney had the opportunity to judge internationally at the USA Championships in Japan and ONP Nationals in Mexico City. She has also judged The Cheerleading Worlds since 2015.

Britney Holder

Britney Holder has been involved within the cheer and dance industry for over 18 years having coaching and choreography experience. Britney has trained with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and has worked with several competitive All Star cheerleading teams within Tennessee. Britney has traveled abroad to the UK for the past six years where she judged for Future Cheer International. She has served virtually as a building judge for AASCF and CheerBrandz. Britney has coached Tennessee State University Cheerleading team for the past nine years and continues to volunteer with surrounding high school cheerleading programs. Britney has served as a building judge for The Cheerleading Worlds, The Summit, The D2 Summit, NCA Nationals, CHEERSPORT Nationals, The Majors, JAMfest Super Nationals, and Spirit of Hope. Britney was selected as the 2021-2022 Best All Around Building judge for Varsity Brands. Currently, Britney holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, Master of Science in Counseling Psychology, Post-Masters in School Counseling, and is currently in pursuit of her PhD in Developmental Psychology, specializing in Childhood and Adolescent Development.

Amy Howe

Amy Howe is from Tulsa, OK. She has over 30 years’ experience as a cheerleader, coach and judge. Amy was a cheerleader at Oklahoma State University winning back-to-back NCA Collegiate National Championships. She was a long-time high school coach in Oklahoma winning numerous State and National titles along the way. Amy has judged for the past 14 years and was honored as the Top Veteran Judge in the Southwest Region for Varsity in 2021-22. She judges competitions all over the U.S. and internationally throughout the season. This is Amy’s 7th year judging The Cheerleading Worlds.

Destani Jameson

Destani Jameson has over 20 years of industry experience, with 15 years specifically dedicated to All Star Cheerleading. Her cheerleading background encompasses roles as an athlete, coach and veteran judge. She is a former athlete, All Star coach and veteran judge. Destani has had the privilege of judging some of the most prestigious events in the industry, including CHEERSPORT, JAMfest Super Nationals, NCA All-Star Nationals, International Summit, Summit, D2 Summit and more. In addition to judging, Destani serves as an AccuScore Official for Varsity All-Star. Throughout her experience in the industry, she has won several awards for her standout personality, including Most Valuable Cheerleader, Best All-Around and Leadership Awards. Destani holds a BA in Political Science and Communication Arts, along with an MPA in Public Administration specializing in Financial Management and Consulting. Currently, she serves as a Project Manager at a tech company.

Heather Jeffries

Heather Jeffries has more than 25 years of cheerleading experience. Heather was on UCA staff for six years as a camp instructor. Judging experience includes a variety of IEP’s and Varsity events as panel judge, head judge and AccuScore Official. Heather has also judged in Canada and virtual events for Australia. She owned an All Star cheer and dance club for three years in Tennessee as well as coached at Valdosta State University for 3 years. Heather is in her fourth season as the head coach for West Creek High School in Clarksville, TN. She has worked 20 years as a certified social worker for the State of Tennessee and has a Master of Public Administration and Master of Social Work and is also currently an instructor for the University of Kentucky.

Hannah Jones

Hannah Jones is from England and has been involved in cheerleading for over 25 years as an athlete, coach, program director, trainer, consultant, and judge. Hannah began judging at small regional competitions in the UK and now travels regionally and internationally working for a variety of Event Producers. She has had the privilege of judging prestigious events including the Summit, NCA, and CHEERSPORT. This will be her second time at The Cheerleading World Championship.

Lisa Knipp

Lisa Knipp, a former member of the Indiana University dance team, has been coaching and judging in the cheerleading industry for over 35 years. The Indiana Coach of the Year Award, numerous Indiana State Championships, and high national rankings are a few of her esteemed accomplishments. It has been Lisa’s honor and privilege to judge for the Australian All Star Cheerleading Federation, America’s Best, ACA, British Cheerleading Association, Champs Grand Nationals, CHEERSPORT, Cheerlebrity, Cheer America, JAMfest, NCA, UCA, USA, The Cheerleading Worlds, US Finals, Spirit Sports, WSF, The Summit, and The D2 Summit. Additionally, Lisa sat on the USA Cheer Coaches Assembly and most recently was awarded as the 2023 USA Varsity Spirit Outstanding Building Judge.

Charles Leathers III

Charles Leathers, III, is a well conversant cheer professional with over 21 years of experience in the industry. His love of the sport began as an All Star and high school cheerleader in North Carolina. He then went on to teach summer camps and cheer collegiality for The University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Charles worked as the Director of Choreography and Curriculum for a successful North Carolina based company where he also helped programs achieve many regional, state and national titles ranging from junior high, high school, All Star as well as colleges. He is now a full-time choreographer and serves as the coach and choreographer for the North Carolina All-State team when he isn’t on panel scoring teams. As a certified All Star and scholastic judge, Charles has worked with many brands both domestically and internationally and he looks forward to what the future of competitive cheerleading has in store.

Fred Loertscher

Fred Loertscher is a former head cheerleader and Assistant Coach for Washington State University. He was part of the United Spirit Association’s instructional staff for 15 years. He has performed and co-directed several half-time shows from college bowl games to the NFL and NBA. Fred has judged high school, college and All Star nationals for ACA, NCA, USA, UCA, Spirit Sports and ASC. Internationally he has been judging ONP’s Mexico Nationals, Future Cheer’s England Nationals, AASCF’s Australian Nationals and Cheer Evolution’s Canadian Nationals since 2012. Fred has judged The Cheerleading Worlds since 2007, serving as a head judge since 2012.

Randy Lyons

Randy Lyons has been judging in the sport of cheerleading for over 25 years across the US, UK, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, and Canada. He has had the honor of judging the IASF/USASF Cheerleading Worlds for the past 13 years. Randy was an NCA Collegiate All-American cheerleader cheering at University of Central Arkansas and University of North Texas while working on his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. He was also a head instructor for the National Cheerleader’s Association teaching summer camps across the US. Randy enjoyed coaching All Star and university teams and his choreography won multiple awards at U.S. National level competitions. After living in Berlin for a couple of years where he was the Vice President of Enterprise Technology for Zalando, Randy has relocated back to the U.S. and is living in Portland, OR.

Joseph Murphy

Joe Murphy is a former UNC Charlotte Cheerleader/Captain who has been judging competition cheer on all levels for 25 plus including All Star, school and collegiate. He has coached gymnastics and cheer on various levels for over 15 years. He has judged for many All Star competitions including UCA, CHEERSPORT, NCA and many others. Internationally he has judged in Canada, Chile and The United Kingdom. He has been judging The Cheerleading Worlds since 2009.

Lauren Peetz

Lauren Peetz has been involved in the cheerleading industry for 30 years as an instructor, coach, speaker, choreographer, club owner and judge. She cheered competitively at Florida International University, was the head cheerleading coach and spirit coordinator at Georgia Tech and has been a contributing writer for both American Cheerleader Magazine and Cheer Biz News. In addition to judging for various brands across the U.S. including The Cheerleading Worlds, The Summit, The D2 Summit and NCA College Nationals, Lauren has also judged internationally in Australia, Germany, Costa Rica and Canada. She has been a choreographer and show director for the Hula Bowl halftime show and has appeared on the David Letterman Show and MTV’s Real World Road Rules Challenge. Lauren has a Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology.

Tam Pham

Tam Pham has been involved in the cheerleading industry for nearly 20 years as an athlete, instructor, and judge. Her experience as a judge has led her to opportunities not only in the United States but also in Australia, Canada, Japan, and the United Kingdom. She has judged at multiple world qualifying events, within the U.S. and internationally, and has been a part of the prestigious panel at The Cheerleading Worlds since 2016. She travels to Australia on a regular to join their expert panel of judges throughout the season. Outside of cheerleading, Tam works as a registered dental hygienist and enjoys spending time with her husband, son, and dog.

Jodi Powell

A resident of Pembroke Pines, FL, Jodi Powell judged throughout Europe, Canada and Chile as well as over 30 years throughout the United States. This is her 10th year judging The Cheerleading Worlds. Jodi is a paralegal for the largest defense firm in the state of Florida.

Christina Rheault

Christina Rheault has been a USASF Cheerleading Worlds Official for over seven years. She has over 25 years of cheer experience and has been a cheerleading judge for 20 years. In 2013, after 16 years as a coach for high school and All Star, she retired from coaching and shifted her focus towards judging. Christina has judged for multiple event producers under the Varsity All-Star brand, Cheer & Dance Extreme, JAMZ, and AmeriCheer. She also has had the opportunity to judge in Cartagena, Colombia, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Dusseldorf, Germany, the BCA Nationals in Telford, England, as well as multiple events for Future Cheer in England, and the Australian All-Star Cheer Federation. Christina is certified annually as an IASF Safety Judge as well and typically judges 25-35 events annually.

Kyle Schmitt

Kyle Schmitt has 21 years of knowledge and experience in All Star cheerleading. She is a former All Star coach and current veteran judge since 2012. Kyle has had the honor of judging the most prestigious events in the industry including The MAJORS, CHEERSPORT Nationals, NCA, UCA All-Star Nationals, ATC International, The Summit, The D2 Summit and The Cheerleading Worlds. In addition to panel judging, Kyle has extensive experience serving as an AccuScore representative and served as the Scoring Director for CheerMatch. Throughout her career, Kyle has received national praise as one of the highest-rated judges in the industry, including awards for Varsity’s Best All Around Judge of the Year in 2018 and 2019. In her spare time, she practices law in Jacksonville, FL.

Tricia Schramm

Tricia Schramm’s passion for cheer started early with highlights including captain at Western Illinois University, Camp Director for Dynamic Cheerleaders Association and as coach/choreographer. Since 2006, Tricia has dedicated herself to adjudicating, and sharing her knowledge and expertise in Canada, England, New Zealand, Australia, and the U.S. including The Summit, The Majors, US Finals, ACP, NCA, UCA, USA, ACA, Canadian Cheer, AASCF, Cheer Sports NZ, Future Cheer, JAMfest Europe, ICC and virtual cheer judging. She has served as a judge at The IASF Worlds, NCA College Nationals, and since 2014, at The USASF Cheerleading Worlds.

Shawn Simmons

With 20 years in the industry, Shawn Simmons brings vast experience, having judged prestigious events like The Cheerleading Worlds, The Summit, and NCA All-Star Nationals. He’s a USASF Connection Leader and former member of the USASF National Advisory Board. Currently pursuing a doctorate at the University of Southern California, Shawn is a Marketing Communications professional. Originally from New Orleans, he now lives in Massachusetts with his dog, Penny.

Susan Stavas

Suzi Stavas is a judge from Beaverton, Oregon. She has more than 30 years experience as an athlete, coach, and judge at the high school and All Star levels. Suzi has judged a plethora of events throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan including The Cheerleading Worlds, Summit, and D2 Summit. She has been honored as OCCA Coach of the Year, NFHS Region 8 Coach of the Year, OCCA Member of the Year, and she was inducted into the OCCA Hall of Fame. Suzi is a former high school English teacher with a Master’s Degree in Education; she now owns a company that offers cheerleading camps, clinics, and choreography for high school teams throughout the Northwest.

Dante Tennant

Dante Tennant is a graduate of Valdosta State University where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Music, Bachelor of Music in Music Education, and a Master of Education in Higher Education Leadership. He is currently the Spirit Coordinator and Head Cheerleading Coach at Middle Tennessee State University. Dante began his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater, Valdosta State. During his 10 years there as Head Coach, he led VSU to four NCA Collegiate National Championships. In addition to collegiate coaching, Dante was a member of the NCA Staff for 13 years, and he has been judging All Star, high school, and college cheerleading for 14 years.

Thomasine Warmington

Thomasine Warmington was introduced to cheerleading during her time at high school in Minnesota. After returning to Australia, she coached cheerleading for several years and continued her involvement in the sport by gaining her judging credentials. She has been judging for over 10 years across Australia, New Zealand and USA. This is her sixth year as an IASF Cheerleading Worlds judge.

Tumbling

Joshua Anderson

Joshua Anderson has been in the cheer industry as a cheerleader, choreographer, and judge for over 25 years. After securing power tumbling titles, Joshua continued his passion through cheerleading. Some highlights include individual national titles, cheering for Illinois State University, and was the Spirit Coordinator/Head Coach at Texas Tech University. During his tenure at TTU, the team was featured nationally, and the program continues that success today. Anderson judges a variety of Varsity, independent, and international cheerleading competition companies. He is a certified Varsity judge and serves as a USASF judge for The Cheerleading Worlds.

Brianna Bell

Brianna Bell grew up in North Carolina, where she cheered competitively throughout her high school years. She and her team earned bids and competed at The Cheerleading Worlds in 2006-2008. She continued cheering at the collegiate level when she attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. While in college, Brianna staffed camps for Spirit Xpress and worked competitions for Allstar Challenge. After graduation, she began judging for numerous USASF-affiliated brands including Allstar Challenge, American Championships, CANAM, Champions League, CHEERSPORT, JAMfest, JAMZ, NCA, Spirit Cheer, UCA, and Universal Spirit. 2024 marks Brianna’s fifth time serving as a panel judge for The Cheerleading Worlds.

Crystal Chambers

Crystal ‘CeCie’ Chambers love for cheerleading began at age 10 on a Pop-Warner team. She eventually cheered in junior high, high school, and briefly at Sam Houston State University. She was on NCA staff for four years and even joined an Open Division team while working on her master’s. Crystal judged high school cheer tryouts and later began to judge for high school and All Star cheerleading competitions. She is currently in her 27th year of judging cheer and dance and currently serves as a Head/Panel Judge and Score Rep for multiple independent brands within the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Crystal is a Sr. Independent Consultant working as a Sr. Project Manager for a Canadian IT/Cybersecurity company in Houston, TX. Crystal loves to travel and learning culture along the way. She is a Green Bay Packers fan and loves all things Disney!

Candice Childers

Candi Childers from Lincoln, AL, has been involved with judging cheerleading competitions for 40 years. She has worked for over 40 different event producers nationally and internationally. Within the past few years, she has served on several judging panels and events in Chile, Australia, Canada, England, and Scotland. Candi is proud to have served on a Worlds panel since 2006 as a panel judge, mini head judge and/or head judge. As a retired high school teacher and coach, when not working with cheerleading, she enjoys traveling the world and spending time on the lake with her best friend and husband of 43 years, Tom.

Adam Denison

Originally from Kentucky, Adam Denison has been involved in the All Star cheerleading industry for over 20 years, as an athlete, coach, camp instructor, choreographer, tumbling director, and judge. Throughout his coaching career, his All Star teams won more than 50 national titles at some of the world’s largest events. Since he began judging in 2015, Adam has adjudicated Worlds divisions at NCA Nationals, The Majors, UCA Internationals, CHEERSPORT Nationals, The All Out Grand Nationals, and JAMfest Super Nationals, among others. He has also judged for over 20 event producers across the United States, Costa Rica, and England. Currently residing in Nashville, TN, Adam works full-time in the entertainment industry as an Agent-Manager for over 20 internationally-touring music artists. He is now in his second year as a panel judge for The Cheerleading Worlds, feeling honored to be surrounded by such incredible talent on the mat and on the judges’ stand.

Tanner Griffith

Tanner Griffith, a seasoned judge with a decade of experience under his belt, brings a unique blend of athleticism and expertise to the forefront. With 12 years of dedicated involvement in gymnastics followed by collegiate cheerleading stints at Texas Tech University and Southern Methodist University. His extensive judging resume includes prominent events such as NCA All-Star Nationals, UCA All-Star Nationals, CHEERSPORT, and JAMZ Nationals, alongside international competitions in the UK, Colombia, and Costa Rica.

Derek Hopkins

Derek Hopkins is a former Wolfpack cheerleader for North Carolina State University. Throughout college, he served as a head camp instructor for Champion Cheerleading Camps. Derek was a member of the 1996 Centennial Olympic cheer team that performed in the opening ceremonies. Upon graduating from the School of Design and relocating to Atlanta to pursue his career in architecture, he coached for two years leading his teams to multiple national championships. Since coaching, Derek has judged for many USASF-affiliated companies. His 30 years of judging experience include All-Star Challenge, American Championships, Athletic Championships, 2022-2024 British Open, CANAM, CDE, Champion Cup Nationals, Champions League, Cheer Derby, CheerNation, CHEERSPORT, GMCE, JAMfest, JAMZ, One Up, Spirit Sports, The One, UCA, Universal Spirit, and WSF. 2024 marks Derek’s 17th year serving as a panel judge for the USASF Cheerleading Worlds competition.

Jordawn Howard

Jordawn Howard is a former University of Louisville cheerleader where she was a four-time NCA All-American and two-time NCA Collegiate National Champion. She was also a member of a USASF World Champion team in 2007. Jordawn was an NCA instructor and head instructor for three years before transitioning to the judging world. In her 14 years as an industry judge, Jordawn has traveled both nationally and internationally for events on five continents. Domestically, Jordawn has judged for several prestigious events including the US Finals, D1 and D2 Summit, and the USASF Cheerleading Worlds. Jordawn has also had the honor of being voted “Best Panel Judge” by her peers at the JAM Brands two years in a row as well as “Best All-Around Tumbling Judge” by her peers at the Varsity Brands. Jordawn is thrilled to be back for her eighth USASF Cheerleading Worlds!

Hayden Lockwood

Hayden Lockwood has been in the cheerleading industry as a judge over the past 15 years. He has judged throughout Australasia as both a panel and head judge and has served on the panel at The Cheerleading Worlds since 2017. Hayden is a former national representative gymnast and cheerleader. His background also includes over 20 years of coaching gymnastics, cheerleading and dance acro.

Cloè McLenan

Cloe McLenan has been involved in the cheerleading industry for 25 years as an athlete, coach, and judge. After being a competitive gymnast, diver, and power tumbler, Cloe shifted towards cheerleading and has been actively involved since. Over the past 15 years, she has judged many events at the national and international level. Cloe lives in Vancouver, Canada, where she is a teacher and mother of two. Cloe is very excited to be judging The Cheerleading Worlds again this year!

Shannon Morris

Shannon Morris is a resident of Gloucester, MA. She has been involved in a variety of roles in cheerleading, dance, and gymnastics for over 30 years, as a competitor, choreographer, coach, and clinician in addition to judging nationally and internationally for cheer and dance. She has been honored to judge multiple Worlds qualifying events, The Cheerleading World’s as well as judging Summit, D2 Summit, and U.S. Finals. She is the former CEO and Partner at Gymco Sports in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As a former competitive gymnast, cheerleader and dancer, Shannon brings with her not only years of training and experience but also a passion and desire to see athletes of all ages and levels excel. When she is not judging she manages a yoga studio and teaches adaptive physical education at Children’s Center for Communication and The Beverly School for the Deaf.

Brandon Norbeck

Brandon Norbeck currently lives in Campbell, CA, where he works for Apple, Inc. Before entering the cheerleading industry Brandon competed as a club gymnast for 12 years. Since that time, he has spent over 20 years in the industry as a coach, choreographer, and judge. He cheered through college at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. After college Brandon began a career as a coach and choreographer where he coached throughout the United States. Some of his career judging highlights include judging The Cheerleading Worlds, the Australian All-Star Cheerleading Federation Nationals, and NCA All-Star and College Nationals. Brandon has served on the tumbling panel at The Cheerleading Worlds for 13 years.

Tiffany Smith

Tiffany Smith has been involved in the cheerleading industry for over 20 years as a competitor, coach, and judge, transitioning from competitive gymnastics. She has experience with All Star, college, high school, and recreational cheerleading. Tiffany has served as Head Judge, Panel Judge, Scoring Representative/AccuScore, and Safety Judge for state, national, and international competitions. She has been judging for the past 15 years and has judged the USASF Cheerleading World Championship since 2013. Outside of judging, Tiffany spends her time Directing a Gymnastics Program in New York.

Dr. Travis Stokes

Dr. Travis L. Stokes has 29 years of experience as a judge, athlete, coach, consultant, choreographer, and camp instructor. He has a sideline, game day, and competition experience at the high school, collegiate (Division 1A), and All Star levels. He has been judging since 2008 and has had the fantastic opportunity to judge national and international competitions. For the past eight years, he has had the prestigious honor of being a judge for the USASF/IASF Cheerleading Worlds. As a former high school, collegiate, and All Star competitive cheerleader, he has won multiple national championships spanning ten years, receiving a Silver and two Bronze medals at the USASF/IASF Cheerleading Worlds. Dr. Stokes is an Alum of the Harvard Kennedy School. He holds a Doctor of Education degree with a concentration in Organizational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Public Administration from Florida International University. Dr. Stokes resides in Miami, Florida, and is immensely involved in community engagement throughout Miami-Dade County and South Florida.

Josh Troutman

Josh Troutman was a gymnast and cheerleader throughout his schooling experience and taught summer camps with Varsity Brands for 8 years across the U.S. and Europe. He has judged competitive and school cheerleading for 18 years across the U.S. and in England.

Rosann Whittington

Rosann Whittington brings over 35 years of cheerleading experience to the cheerleading industry including coaching, judging, former cheerleader and gymnast. Rosann has been judging for over 25 years with various cheerleading companies including Varsity and Pro Spirit. Rosann has had the honor of panel judging for The Cheerleading Worlds, CHEERSPORT, NCA All-Star Nationals and High School Nationals, JAMZ, The Summit, and D2 Summit as well as internationally.

Overall

Denise Buzzinotti

Charlotte Allen

Charlotte Allen lives in Somerville, AL. She is a retired teacher and cheer coach of 28 years. She was inducted into the Cheerleading Coaches Hall of Fame by American Cheerleading Magazine. In 2018 she was awarded The Herkie Legacy Award. In 2023 she was awarded Best All-Around Overall judge by Varsity All-Star. She has been a cheerleading judge for 34 years on all levels of cheerleading for numerous cheer companies. She has also judged internationally in Chile, Australia, England, and Canada. She has had the privilege of judging The Cheerleading Worlds from 2006 to the present, and the Summits from their beginning until the present. Not only does she judge she also is an Administrator (VEA) for Varsity during summer cheer and dance camps.

Tiffany Bryant

Tiffany Bryant has been an international judge for Canadian Cheer Evolution, British Association, Quebec Cheerleading Federation, Australian All-Star Cheerleading Federation, and the 2019/2022 ICC British Open & Battle of Champions competition in Nottingham, England. Tiffany has been a World’s judge since 2008, serving in the capacity of Mini-Head Judge and Cheer Panel Judge, and has adjudicated for several national cheer companies, now under the Varsity umbrella. In addition, she works for IEP’s Cheer & Dance Extreme, JAMZ, and cheer company, TRU Triple Threat. She has been a presenter at several coach/cheer clinics during her judging career. During her 20-plus years in the industry, she has performed panel/head/safety duties. Ms. Bryant resides in Northern Virginia, has been an elementary school counselor for 29 years, and is honored to be a part of The Cheerleading Worlds 2024!

Opal Bush

Opal Bush is a Varsity Certified judge from Kennesaw, GA. Opal is a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and was featured on the DCC poster, calendar, and multiple Cowboys commercials. She has over 20 years of experience in the industry as a choreographer, coach, and judge. Opal has had the honor of judging prestigious brands such as The Cheerleading Worlds, The Summit, D2 Summit, NCA, and CHEERSPORT.

Denise Buzzinotti

Denise Buzzinotti has been happily involved in the cheer and dance industry for over 30 years as a competitor, coach, consultant, keynote speaker, subjective judge, and safety judge. Denise has been blessed to judge national, international, and world-bid cheerleading competitions for many of the top cheerleading companies across the globe from Dallas to Scotland! She has judged The Majors, The Summit, D2, and U.S. Finals. She is the proud inaugural recipient of the Varsity All-Star Honor and Legacy Award. It is her honor to be a fourteen-time Cheerleading World’s Judge.

Sanaa ElRassi

Sanaa El Rassi is from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and has been involved in the cheerleading industry for over 41 years coaching lead instructor and judging. She participated to the Cheer Canada Officials Development Committee which mandates provide leadership and direction in the development of Cheer Canada’s Officials and to develop a national/standardized judging methodology for all Canadian provincial associations. She is involved in the development of the judge’s training and certification program for the Quebec Cheerleading Federation. Since 1999, she has judged local, provincial, national, and international events. She participates in several competitions for various event producers in Quebec, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom: Canadian Cheer Evolution, Quebec Cheerleading Federation, Sapphire Productions, Ontario Cheerleading Federation, Cheer Expo Cheerleading and Dance, Kicks Cheerleading, Team Champion/Champion Spirit Group, The ONE Cheer and Dance, Flip and Shout, CHEERSPORT, Universal Spirit and the British Cheerleading Association Cheer and Dance. Sanaa is honored to participate as a panel judge for the USASF/IASF Cheerleading Worlds competition since 2014.

Elizabeth Hadley

Beth Hadley is from Sydney, Australia, and grew up training in all styles of dance. She competed in all levels of cheer until the age of 24. Beth represented Australia at Worlds three times during her time as an athlete. Beth was a dedicated coach and choreographer for 12 years, with many of her teams winning Australian national titles. After retiring as an athlete and coach she began judging for numerous event providers across Australia, New Zealand, and the USA including Aussie Gold, Cheercon, AASCF, ATC, NZCU, The One, NCA, UCA, and CHEERSPORT. In 2019 and 2021, Beth created training materials and presented judges’ education to a range of event providers across Australia. Between her weekends judging, Beth is a dedicated elementary school teacher. In 2023 she achieved her goal of judging at The Cheerleading Worlds for the first time and is thrilled to be back in 2024.

Stacy Kuecker

Anastasia (Stacy) Kuecker has over 25 years of cheerleading experience, including 15 years of coaching recreational cheerleading and high school cheer. She has been an All Star judge for 15 years, judging for companies such as Varsity, CSG, JAMfest, NCA, UCA, CHEERSPORT, WSF, The Majors, and many others. Stacy has judged the International Summit, D1 Summit, D2 Summit, Youth Summit, US Finals, JAMfest Japan and Feel the Power in Canada. She has a love for the sport of cheer, having watched my own three girls grow up in the sport. She loves how cheer is ever-changing and growing each year and is blessed to be a part of this amazing sport still today.

Shannon Louis

Shannon Louis has been part of the cheerleading industry for over 25 years as a coach of all levels. After many years of coaching, Shannon dedicated herself to judging at all levels nationally and internationally. She has proudly served as a Cheerleading Worlds judge for five years. When she is not judging, Shannon is a first grade teacher in Cincinnati, OH. She and her husband, Dan, are the parents of three sons, Vince, Anthony and Dominic.

Erica Neal

Erica Neal is from Lancaster, OH, and works as a Developmental Specialist. Erica’s passion for cheerleading began at the early age of 5 and from there she was all in. She has over 29 years of cheerleading experience as an athlete, coach, choreographer, and judge. Erica has helped develop training materials and resources for judges throughout the industry. Erica is a TRU Triple Threat Judge and a certified judge for Varsity. She judges nationally for Greater Midwest Cheer Expo, JAMZ Cheer & Dance, Champion Cheer Central, Cheer Derby, Champions League, and Winner’s Choice Championships. She has judged internationally for Canadian Cheer Evolution, Cheer Challenge Chile, ICC, and Cheer Brandz. Erica has judged The Cheerleading Worlds for eight years.

Heather O’Brien

Heather O’Brien has been involved in the cheerleading industry for over 20 years as an athlete, coach, and judge. She is a USASF Cheer and Dance Legality Official and judges all around the U.S. When not judging cheer, Heather is a special educator, wife, and mother of three boys.

Alex Padron

Alex Padron began his cheerleading career in 2002, after transitioning from a five-year career as a gymnast in Houston, TX. Throughout his years as an athlete, Alex was a member of All Star, high school, and collegiate teams. Following college, Alex began coaching local high school and All Star teams, along with technique classes. For the past nine years, Alex has judged for a variety of brands such as NCA, CHEERSPORT, UCA, Cheer Power, Spirit Sports, Athletic Championship, ACA, The Summit, and DII Summit.

Karen Snyder

Karen Snyder is a cheerleading professional with over 35 years of knowledge and experience. In her younger years, she was involved in both competitive gymnastics and dance which easily segued her into her true passion of cheer. She’s experienced a wide variety of roles in the cheerleading industry as an athlete, coach, All Star club owner, choreographer, consultant, and judge. Because of her experience and education in scoring, she’s had the privilege to judge throughout the Continental United States, Hawaii, throughout Europe, and Canada. She has served in many capacities as a panel judge, head judge, judge trainer, stand manager, and scoring official. Since 2008, she has judged several World Qualifying events, as well as The Majors. She has been honored to judge The Cheerleading World Championships since 2013.

Karen Stearns

Karen Stearns is a resident of Florida where she has been the Compliance Officer for 25 years at American Heritage High Schools and was their Athletic Director, overseeing 19 different sports and 56 teams, amassing 46 state titles in 10 years. Previously, she was their cheer and dance coordinator, coaching their varsity competition squads for 13 years. She has over 30 years of experience coaching All Star and high school cheer and dance and as a club director. Karen judges national competitions throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe for several companies including CHEERSPORT, Canadian Cheer Evolution, The Cheer Challenge, Allstar Challenge, Universal Spirit, Winners Choice, ICC, American Championships, American Cheer Power, UCA, Cheer Ltd., Cheer Expo, The FCQ, Champion Spirit Group and The Cheerleading Worlds.

Shawndra Winter

For over 15 years, Shawndra Winter has coached and provided choreography for competitive teams at the All Star, recreational, high school, and collegiate levels including club gymnastics, power-tumbling, and trampoline (Levels 1-7). She has been a World’s Division judge for NCA, USA, American Championships, American Cheer Power, World Spirit Federation, CHEERSPORT, CheerBrandz, and various other companies both nationally and internationally. Since 2007, she has had the distinct privilege of serving as an Overall and Tumbling judge for The Cheerleading Worlds. Shawndra has a significant amount of energy for helping athletes, coaches, and business professionals strategically utilize their strengths to overcome performance barriers and ultimately reach their goals. When she’s not traveling the globe, using enthusiasm and tactical strategies to help others, Shawndra is the Lead Content Strategist for Business Acumen at PwC.

Quality

Jeff Bailey

Jeff Bailey is an All Star certified judge from Manhattan Beach, CA. He has over 30 years of experience in the cheer and dance industry as a judge, judge stand manager, event director, and coach. Jeff has had the opportunity to judge for numerous prominent All Star brands, including TSN, the United Spirit Association (USA), The American Championships, GSSA, Aloha, Mid-Atlantic Championships, PacWest, Spirit Sports, and All Star Challenge. Mr. Bailey has also been instrumental in assisting with the production of pre-game and halftime shows for the Pro Bowl, World League, and collegiate bowl games. Additional professional experience includes Director of the Los Angeles Clippers NBA Dance Team, choreographer for feature film and television specials, and a coach and choreographer for junior high, high school, and college cheer teams.

Jessica Christian

Jessi Christian has been involved in the cheerleading industry for over 30 years as a competitor, instructor, coach, choreographer, and judge. She has judged both cheerleading and dance for over 20 years for various companies including NCA, USA, and ACA, as well as AASCF Nationals in Australia and in Mexico City for ONP. She spent ten years as an instructor for the United Spirit Association where she won the Hardest Working and Leadership Awards and was a three-time Unity Award winner. Jessi was a Head Instructor for USA for seven years. She helped produce Varsity half-time shows for the Sparx, Clippers, and 49ers, as well as the Pro-Bowl Half-Time Show in Honolulu, HI. Jessi has been judging the USASF Cheerleading Worlds since 2016.

Albrey Conker

Albrey Conker is a seasoned professional in the cheerleading industry, with over two decades of experience. She holds numerous national titles as an All Star athlete and is a 3x UCA College National Champion for the University of West Georgia. Additionally, she has excelled as an All Star coach and director, leading her club to new heights. As a judge since 2014, Albrey specializes in building, safety, and score support, serving on panels for renowned brands worldwide. In 2020, she expanded her judging expertise as a Legality Official with USASF, ensuring the highest standards in athlete protection, compliance, fairness, and safety. Moreover, Albrey showcases her leadership skills as a District Manager for Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine in Atlanta, GA. Her dedication and versatility shine through her multifaceted roles within the cheerleading community and her professional career.

Erin Gardner

Erin Gardner has been involved in the cheerleading and dance industry for more than 25 years. She started as an All Star cheerleader and continued her career to the professional level, while also being a technically trained dancer starting at the age of 2 and performing with a semi-professional company throughout high school. Upon graduation, Erin coached and choreographed for national champion rec, school, and All Star teams all over the country and continued her passion by becoming a judge. She is USASF Cheer and Dance Safety certified and judges for companies including Cheer and Dance Extreme, Future Cheer-UK, Cheer America, The One, and Varsity. She holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in Systems Engineering and Program Management. Erin currently works as a Civilian for the U.S. Army and has two beautiful children and two adorable pups.

Jolene Harris

Jolene Harris has been involved with cheerleading for over 35 years. She was an instructor for United Spirit Association for several years and was also a Head Instructor for USA. Jolene has judged cheerleading competitions for over 25 years. She has judged regional and national competitions for many companies, as well as at Summit, D2 Summit, and The Cheerleading Worlds competitions. She loves traveling to Japan to judge the USA-Japan National Cheerleading Competition and to provide training for their All Star judges.

Giselle Mandujan

Gigi Mandujan is from Stockton, CA. She is a veteran judge with more than 25 years of experience in the cheerleading industry as a coach, a panel judge, and a head judge. Gigi has adjudicated events for IEP’s such as JAMZ and The Spirit Network, as well as numerous Varsity brands including CHEERSPORT, National Cheerleaders Association and the United Spirit Association. In addition to judging across the United States, she also judges international events in Canada and Mexico. A teacher with 24 years of classroom experience, she currently teaches high school English and Student Government. She also serves as her school’s positive school climate coordinator, which allows her to share her passion for creating inclusive spaces that are culturally relevant.

Rebecca Mason

Becca Mason has been involved with the United Spirit Association for the last 26 years and has been judging regional and national cheer and dance competitions for 24 years. Becca cheered and danced for over 25 years and competed nationally as an All Star and at the collegiate level. She has judged several years for The Cheerleading Worlds, traveled to Japan to judge USA Japan Nationals, twice to Mexico City as a judge for ONP Nationals, and has also had the opportunity to judge for the Australian All-Star Cheerleading Federation for their Winterfest, National Championships and The Pinnacle.

Donna Snyder

Donna Carter-Snyder is a former Wright State University Cheerleader. She is a veteran staff member for UCA with 13 years coaching experience. Donna has been judging for 35 years with 31 years at the national and international levels. This includes judging for UCA, NCA, USA, Varsity All Star, the International Cheer Union, Worlds, Summit, and D2 Summit. She has represented the ICU as a judge in Costa Rica, Chile, Puerto Rico, Japan, Germany, Scotland, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Australia. Donna is also the founder of CHEER FOR A CURE, a Breast Cancer Benefit Cheer competition in Dayton, OH. This has been a successful event for 23 years. Cheer for a Cure was featured in the October 2021 issue of Inside Cheerleading Magazine. The 23rd Annual event was held in February 2024.

Deduction

Stephanie Baxter

Stephanie Baxter has been involved in cheerleading for 25 years. Throughout her cheerleading career, she has traveled across the U.S. as well as Mexico, Japan, and China teaching cheer clinics and judging national cheerleading competitions. She has coached nationally-ranked high school cheerleading teams as well as the University of Utah Cheerleading team from 2015 to 2019. Stephanie has been a deductions judge for The Cheerleading Worlds and is a current USASF-certified Legality Official.

Astrid Berger

Astrid Berger lives in Germany and has over 25 years of experience in the cheer industry as an athlete, coach, and judge. She has judged numerous national and international events for Varsity and National Federations and shares her knowledge at judge trainings. Astrid holds an M.S. in Communication and Media Science and is currently the Head of Cabin Crews at one of Germany’s leading airlines.

Dean Cavero

Dean Cavero brings over 28 years of expertise in the All Star and collegiate cheer industry as a distinguished competitor, coach, choreographer, and international judge. With a stellar track record of championship titles and accolades, Dean is committed to nurturing the next generation of athletes, infusing them with his passion for the sport. As a mentor and leader, he takes pride in shaping the future of cheerleading both domestically and internationally, having judged competitions in multiple countries.

Sheila Dawson

With over 28 years of extensive experience in All Star cheerleading, Sheila Dawson has been an All Star coach, judge, and former collegiate cheer and dance coach, making significant contributions to the cheerleading community. Over the past two decades, Sheila has dedicated herself to the cheerleading circuit, serving as a judge and AccuScore official at national and international events such as The Cheerleading Worlds, The Majors, NCA All-Star Nationals, The Summit, The D2 Summit, The U.S. Finals, CHEERSPORT, and JAMfest Cheer Super Nationals. Sheila’s keen eye and deep understanding of the sport have earned her accolades, including being recognized as Varsity’s Most Dedicated Judge of the Year in 2018 and 2019, and Varsity’s Top Midwest Veteran Judge of the Year for 2021-22. In her latest accomplishment, Sheila was named the AccuScore Official of the Year for 2022-23, highlighting her enduring impact and expertise in the field.

Kari Ganske

Kari Ganske, a high school English/ESOL teacher, has been involved in cheerleading since 2002 as a coach, competition director, judge, and the Maryland State Co-Director for Public Schools. She is a certified safety judge through NFHS and USASF; has served as safety, panel, head, and AccuScore at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels serving MPSSCC, CDE, Spirit Sports, CHEERSPORT, Epic Brands, Cheer Canada, and ICC in England. She is honored to be a USASF World Championships judge for the eighth time. When she isn’t judging, Kari can be found chasing her children with a camera, writing cozy mysteries, or reading voraciously.

Candice Gunn

Candice Gunn is from Richmond, VA, and has been involved in cheerleading for over 25 years. She cheered for high school and at the collegiate level when she attended Virginia Commonwealth University. While in college, Candice staffed camps for Spirit Xpress and worked competitions for All-Star Challenge. During this time she began judging for numerous USASF Event Producers including Allstar Challenge, CANAM, CHEERSPORT, UCA, JAMfest, Spirit Xpress, Winners Choice, All Day Cheerleading, Panel 9, NCA and IASAF, The Majors and Universal Spirit. 2024 marks Candice’s seventh time serving as a deductions judge for The Cheerleading Worlds.

Nicole Haight

Nicole Haight has been involved with cheerleading and gymnastics for more than 36 years as an athlete, coach, club owner, and judge. She has been a USASF-certified Legality Official since 2007 and has judged nationally for twenty years for various USASF member event producers. Nicole frequently serves as a judge stand manager or in AccuScore, and she has been honored to judge The Cheerleading Worlds since 2008. She is currently a member of the Varsity All-Star Fashion Design Team, and she resides in Charlotte, NC.

Chantelle Johnston

Chantelle Johnston has been involved in the All Star industry for more than 20 years as a competitor, coach, camp director, and judge. In 2011 she was selected to be an Arena Manager for The American Championships and is currently an Arena Manager/Judge Stand Manager for Varsity’s Southeast region. She has had the privilege of traveling to London to judge at Future Cheer Internationals and has judged at both The Summit and D2 Summit. This will be her seventh year as a deductions judge at The Cheerleading Worlds.

Julie Mihaljevic

Julie Mihaljevic has been involved in the cheerleading industry for 40 years. She coached at Synergy All Stars in Lancaster, Pennsylvania for nine years, where she earned numerous national titles. For the last 21 years, she has judged events Cheer and Dance Extreme, Varsity Brands, Cheer Alliance, Canadian Cheer Evolution, Cheer Expo and the BCA. She is excited to return to The Cheerleading World Championships for her 15th year.

Ryun Nacario

Ryun Nacario is a USASF and Varsity certified judge from Salt Lake City, UT. Ryun has been involved in the cheerleading industry for over 20 years as a coach, judge, club owner, and choreographer. He is a United Spirit Association Head Instructor and has been judging for the last 17 years for multiple Varsity brands including USA, WSF, Spirit Cheer, PacWest, UCA, Athletic Championships, American Championships, CHEERSPORT and Spirit Sports, as well as, a Point Deduction and Legality Judge for The Summit, D2 Summit and The Cheerleading Worlds.

Austin Seeley

Austin Seeley has been involved in the cheerleading industry for almost 20 years of his life. Whether it be as an athlete, event staff, judge, or scoring specialist, Austin has been involved heavily in this event industry both domestically and internationally. Though Austin previously worked full-time in the industry, he enjoys dipping his toes in the water on his weekends off from his other jobs as a group fitness instructor and Convention Services Manager with Louisville Tourism. When not doing those things, Austin enjoys being around his family, friends, and anything Beyonce.

James Smith

James Smith, Sr. has been in the professional cheer and dance world for the last 20 + years. He served as a Head Instructor for 13 years for the National Cheerleading Association and also served as a district, regional, and Worlds judge, along with several other professional cheerleading companies for over 20 years. He has been a choreographer and consultant for several teams in the local and surrounding areas of Louisiana. He was a cheerleader at Grambling State University where he was titled collegiate All-American cheerleader two years in a row. He served as the head coach and director of the SU Cheerleaders for 24 years leading them to three National Black College Championships, two SWAC cheerleader championships and a 3-time Black College Cheer Coach of the Year, and countless other awards and accolades.

Legality

Jessica Adler

Jessica Adler has been involved in the cheerleading industry for over 20 years, having started as an athlete and coach. She has been judging for 8 years as an IASF and USASF Legality Official throughout Canada, the USA, and Europe during which time she has also served on various committees for Cheer Canada and her Provincial Sport Organizations. Outside of cheerleading, Jessica has a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and is working on a degree in accounting. This is her fourth time as a Legality Official at The Cheerleading World Championship and is honored to be here!

Robin Bolden

Robin Bolden (Atlanta, GA) has been in cheerleading for over 25 years, including 15 years of all-star choreography and coaching. She was a UCA Head Instructor for 9 years. Robin was NFHS Technical Judge and is a certified USASF/IASF Legality Judge. As a presenter at coaches’ conferences, Robin shares her knowledge about the rules and point deductions. In 2011, Robin spoke at the Atlanta USASF Regional Meeting on behalf of the IEP. Several companies including Jam Brands, Future Cheer, ATC, Canadian Cheer Evolution, NCA, and AASCF hire her for her expertise as a Legality and Deduction Judge. She has been a Legality Judge for several World Bid Qualifying panels and The Cheerleading Worlds since 2008. Robin was nominated for Spirit Industry Trade Association “Outstanding Cheer Judge” for 2010. Cheer Biz Magazine (FEB – MAR 2013 issue) featured her in the “Judges’ Table” article. Robin is a member of the USASF and IASF Rules Committees. Robin was selected as one of the “Cheer Biz News 35 under 35 Influential People in Cheerleading” Class of 2013. In the 2016-2017 season, Cheer Replay, an innovative deduction and review system, launched with Robin as one of the contributors. She has been part of the IASF Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee since 2020. At the 2022 Cheerleading Worlds, Robin was recognized and received an award for her commitment and dedication to Rules and Education by the IASF.

Svenja Breisch

Svenja Breisch has been involved in cheer for 20 years as an athlete, sport director, judge, and legality official. She runs the legality training for judges and coaches nationally and has judged many events at the national and international level for All Star as well as National Federations. Svenja is a certified IASF and ICU Legality Official. Residing in Germany, she travels the world professionally as a flight attendant.

Jill Bugner

Jill Bugner is cheerfully returning to The Cheerleading Worlds and has been serving as either a deduction or legality official since 2017. She judges regional and national events throughout the United States.

Everth Campos

Everth Campos is a Colombian judge with 11+ years of experience. His experience includes judging Cheer and Performance Cheer and developing cheerleading educational programs. He has been a Legality Official at The Cheerleading Worlds since 2022. He also holds the black, red and green medallion in the ICU education program. Everth has judged multiple national competitions in Colombia, USA, Ecuador, Guatemala, Chile, Brazil, and Europe. He has been fortunate to judge competitions as an ICU judge— ICU Pan-American competition (2017-2022), ICU World of School Championship (2018-2019), and he was selected as ICU World Championship judge in (2021-2023). He designed, developed, and has supported the Colombian cheerleading federation in creating a curriculum for judges, coaches, and athletes’ education since 2017.

Andre Carter

Andre Carter is the Director of Cheer Rules for the USASF and a member of the USASF Rules Committee. Andre was formerly an instructor for the International Cheer Union, the Director of Education and the Assistant Director of Rules, Safety, and Judging for the USASF, and served on the USASF Worlds Judge Selection Committee. In addition, Andre has worked for a major event producer, cheer music production company, and camp and choreography company. Andre was the co-founder and co-owner of Showtime Spirit in Lexington, KY, an assistant coach at George Mason University, the head coach at the University of Southern Mississippi, an assistant coach and cheerleader for the University of Kentucky, and a seven-year UCA Staff member. Andre has experience with All Star, high school and college championships and has judged for companies in the U.S., as well as in Australia, Costa Rica, Chile, and England. Andre has also served as a Legality Official at The Cheerleading Worlds and multiple all-level end-of-season events.

Orry Clayborne

Orry Clayborne currently serves as the Scoring Experience Specialist for Varsity All-Star Northeast Region. He previously held the title of Event Director and Judging Coordinator for Universal Cheerleaders Association. Orry maintains numerous certifications and is a certified Legality Official for NFHS, USA Cheer and the USASF. He has judged both nationally and internationally for All Star, recreational cheerleading, high school and college Events including UCA College and High School Nationals, NCA College and High School Nationals, International Cheer Union, and The Cheerleading Worlds and world-bid events.

Khristopher Franklin

Khris Franklin has been active in the cheerleading industry for 27 years and has been judging for the last 24 seasons. He has been both a building judge and safety judge for The Cheerleading Worlds for the last 10 years. Since 2002, he has coached at the collegiate and pro levels for Stephen F. Austin, San Antonio Spurs, and has spent the last 12 years with TVCC.

Kristi Boaz Harr

Kristi Harr is a former cheerleader for the University of Houston where she won two NCA Collegiate National Titles. She is a certified Legality Official with 20 years of judging experience.

Legality

Brittany Hasseldeck

Brittany Hasseldeck has 14 years of judging experience at the local, regional, national, and international level. She has been USASF safety certified for 12 years. She is a former UCA staff member where she taught and headed camps for eight years. She is a graduate of Marquette University where she was a member of their cheerleading team.

Celeste Johnson

Celeste Johnson has 25 years of experience in the cheerleading industry. Her roles over the years have included being a club owner, All Star director, consultant, and speaker. Celeste has been certified as a legality judge by USASF since 2009 and is a part of USASF Mentoring Program since 2012. She has served as the NACCC Executive Committee Southwest Region Representative from 2013 to 2015. She also served on the NACCC Small Gym Committee and the USASF Disciplinary Committee. Currently, Celeste is one of the USASF’s Member Support Specialists. In addition to her USASF roles, she judges for several All Star brands.

Jessica Legette

Jessica Legette has been involved in cheer and dance for over three decades. She has served in the industry as an event producer, educator, legality official, and coach. Over the years, Jessica has been fortunate to judge within the U.S. and internationally and is grateful to be returning to The Cheerleading World Championship!

Lorena Manrique

Lorena Manrique is a Production Engineer in Colombia. She has been immersed in cheerleading for over 15 years. She loves devoting her life to cheerleading. Her experience ranges from being an athlete and member of the Colombian national team at ICU and IASF Worlds to coaching, choreographing, and judging in Colombia and neighboring countries Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and Chile. Lorena has served as coach for All Star club in Colombia choreographing teams from levels 1 to 7 as well as staff and judge in camps and coaches training. She is the General Director of a Judges Program in Colombia.

Stephen Mills

Stephen Mills is from Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada. Stephen has been involved in the cheerleading industry for over 25 years. He has been judging for 15 years as an IASF and USASF Legality Official. Stephen has judged for a variety of event producers and World Bid events throughout Canada, USA, and Europe. He has been a member of the local Provincial Sport Organization and assisted in Cheer Canada committees. Stephen is honored to be judging The Cheerleading World Championship with so many amazing judges.

Melissa Moisan

Melissa Moisan has 29 years of experience in the cheerleading industry. She spent 15 years as a coach and instructor and the last 20+ years judging throughout Canada, USA, and Europe, having judged internationally since 2013. Melissa spent nine years as the Technical Director with the Quebec Cheerleading Federation. In this role, she had various mandates to ensure the safe practice of cheerleading. She oversaw the creation of judges and coaches training and certifications, coordinated judges and staff, and implemented security and safety guidelines for practicing cheerleading and for event sanctioning. Melissa is a legality and panel-certified judge. She was involved in the creation of the Cheer Canada Federation, she also participated in the development of the scoring system, the judge’s methodology and tools. Melissa is very honored to participate as a Legality Official for the 2024 USASF/IASF Cheerleading Worlds.

Ian Pudge

Ian Pudge has been a USASF Certified Legalities/Safety Official extensively through both Canada and the U.S., as well as Australia (AASCF) and England (FutureCheer). He has judged The Cheerleading Worlds on multiple occasions, as well as National Championships and World Bid events for a wide variety of event producers. Originally from Toronto, Ontario he currently lives in Chicago, Illinois.

Eric Rodriguez

Eric Rodriguez is a certified USASF/IASF Legality Official. Over 25 years of his life have been dedicated to All Star, college, and school cheerleading. His combined experience as an athlete, coach, choreographer, and judge has led him to judge many of the national and world bid events across the world including NCA, UCA, CHEERSPORT, Spirit Sports, Athletic Championships, Encore, Cheer America, JAMZ Nationals, CCC Nationals, JAMfest Super Nationals, Future Cheer (United Kingdom), AASCF (Australia), Costa Rica, ATC International, Varsity Canada, International Summit, D2 Summit, The Summit, and ICU. This is his 10th year judging The Cheerleading Worlds.

Nicole Rollins

Nicole Rollins is a veteran Cheerleading Worlds Legality Official. She cheered competitively for 15 years at the school, All Star, and collegiate levels. She has judged on the regional and national level for school and All Star competitions since 2008 including NCA All-Star Nationals, UCA All-Star Nationals, CHEERSPORT Nationals, and international competitions. She lives in North Carolina where her husband is stationed with the Air Force and works full time in the cheer industry as the UCA Scoring Director.

Charles Taylor III

Charles Taylor, III, is a former member of the San Antonio Spurs Coyote Crew. He attended the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, TX, where he later coached both the large and small coed teams. With over 20 years of experience, he has had a full career in cheer and dance as an athlete, coach, club owner, and event producer earning numerous awards and titles along the way. He is a USASF/IASF Certified Legality Judge for both cheer and cance. He has had the privilege of serving as a judge for many prestigious events in the USA, Europe, Australia, South America and New Zealand including The Cheerleading Worlds and The International Cheer Union (ICU) World Championships.

Jason Trost

Jason Trost is a USASF-certified Legality Official from Charlotte, NC. With close to 20 years of experience as both a coach and a judge, Jason has had the opportunity to judge events across the country for many brands, including CHEERSPORT, American Cheer Power, NCA, Cheer Ltd., and UCA, as well as events internationally. Jason has had the honor of judging The Cheerleading Worlds for the past eight seasons. Full-time Jason works in Learning & Development for EY.

Harold Williams

Harold Williams is an experienced All Star cheerleading coach, choreographer, judge, and program director. Driven by the betterment, safety, and growth of our sport, he takes pride in providing the best environment possible for the athletes, coaches, and families he encounters. With over 25 years of experience as a member of the All Star cheer community, his goals include safely developing athletes in all facets of cheer and the continued development/education in our sport. In addition to his everyday job functions, Harold continues to strive and commit to the overall success of the All Star cheer industry. He judges for USASF Sanctioned events during the season. Also, he’s a member of the USASF Rules Committee.