LUMBERTON — After Lumberton High School had its first all-state cheerleader last year, the school can claim a second one a year later as Yesenia Velazquez was announced to the team this week.

“It feels good to know that my hard work has paid off,” Velazquez said. “It means that my season will get to go on a little longer than everyone else. Everyone will be taking a break, but I’ll still get to be doing what I love.”

Along with earning the recognition of being one of the best cheerleaders in the state by receiving all-state honors from the North Carolina Cheerleading Coaches Association, the 11th-grader also will cheer at the football and basketball East-West all-star games. Both events will be played in Greensboro during July.

Velazquez has been cheering since the seventh grade and has done all-star cheering outside of school. When the time came to try out, she saw the opportunities that teammate Cameron Williamson got from making the all-state team last year and wanted to see what she could get out of the chance.

Williamson was the first Lumberton cheerleader named all-state last year, and Velazquez said that having her as a senior captain of the cheer squad helped her get to where she is now.

“Before tryouts, she gave me a pep talk and gave me a little bit of advice here and there,” Velazquez said.

Lumberton cheer coach Jamie Hughes said the recognition is a testament to Velazquez’s reliability.

“She’s all around one of those great athletes that go above and beyond. She’s present at everything and she gives her all,” Hughes said. “We need student-athletes like her.”

Hughes said Velazquez was one of the 24 selected from the 66-person field for the honor.

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By Jonathan Bym

Sports editor

Jonathan Bym can be reached at 910-816-1977 or by email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @Jonathan_Bym.