James A. Cawood Elementary student Morgan Bailey was recently awarded with the National Cheerleading Association’s most prestigious honor as she was selected as an All-American cheerleader during a cheer camp in Louisville.

A total of 12 cheerleaders were named to the All-American team, all of whom were high school students except for Bailey. She is currently the youngest girl in the region to receive the honor.

Marsha Bailey, Morgan’s mother, said she is very proud of what her daughter has been able to accomplish.

“I was very excited when I found out she was named as an All-American. We are most excited that she is the youngest that we know of in our region to receive this type of an honor,” she said. “She is a straight-A student as well, so I couldn’t ask for anything else.”

Bailey has been an award-winning cheerleader throughout her life. She began cheerleading in the pee-wee league for the Harlan County Knights. She was later named future cheerleader and rode in the homecoming parade in Cumberland.

Bailey started gymnastics at the age of 4 in order to build muscle tone. She has been cheerleading for nearly seven years. She said being named All-American is something that makes her proud.

“My cheer coach told me that we were going to cheerleading camp and I got excited because she told us about the All-American team. I am one of the best cheerleaders on the team, so I wanted to get it really bad,” Morgan Bailey said.

Bailey and the rest of the All-American team will perform at Disney World on Dec. 4. It will later be nationally broadcast on Christmas. She plans on attending the University of Kentucky and one day become a veterinarian.