A LOOK BACK: Barberton cheerleaders reached top at 2005 national championship

By RANDY FORST

BGNN sports editor

Barberton High winter sports for the 2024-25 season are beginning. Fans will be cheering on the Magics in all their home games. This year as you settle in the gym, take a look at all the banners on the far wall. Yes, you will see state championships, state runner-up teams in basketball, football, track, and baseball.

There is even a picture on the lower wall of the 1975-76 State Champion Magics. But then look above all the banners, and you’ll see a National Championship banner. Yes, a National Championship banner. It belongs to the 2004-05 Magic Cheerleading team.

I caught up with the coach of that team Mindy Shreiner Jackson, who along with Kim Donnely led the Magics to that championship. It was an eye opener for myself and I’m sure for many others, who mistakenly thought cheerleading was just a team of young ladies who might practice for a couple hours a week so they can cheer on the Magics on the football field or basketball court. These young ladies started in the summer learning their routine. During the year they practiced five or six days every week. They were also required to take a tumbling class at a local gymnastics’ gym.

Jackson said she remembers thinking that the girls probably hated her and coach Donnely because of how many times they would make the team stop and do their routine over and over again at practice. They also knew that their routine would be about two and a half minutes long so the girls would have to be in good shape. Running was a part of every practice to increase their conditioning and endurance.

As Coach Jackson says: “This team was special they were so good they kept mastering skills so easily we would have to keep changing the skills to make the routine harder. The girls worked very hard and dedicated themselves to improving their routine. This group was amazing, it wasn’t always fun and easy. They stand out because they truly loved what they did, and they were so good at it!”

It took three rounds to qualify for the Nationals in Columbus in 2005. Once there they made the Magic City proud winning that National Championship. It is easy to see now why that banner is so high up on that gym wall. The following girls were members of that elite team: Karla Seifert, Kaylen Lappen, Danielle Holcomb, Jessie Grof, Lauren Bertolini, Jessica Smith, Kristy Sbory, Peyton Slimak, Brandy Wilson, Heather Grimm, Timisha Chambers, and Kari Seibert.