NEWPORT-Cocke County High School senior Jessi Reed has become the first student-athlete from the school to take her cheerleading to the next level on an athletic scholarship in recent memory.

Reed signed scholarship papers with Martin Methodist College on Tuesday afternoon at the school.

Reed was joined at her signing ceremony by her family, coaches and school administrators at CCHS.

Her mother, Elizabeth, has been instrumental in The Spirit Factory cheerleading squad in Cocke County, along with CCHS cheer coach Victoria Morgan. She also has cheered alongside her sister Alicia with both the school squad and at The Spirit Factory.

Martin Methodist is a NAIA-level school and their cheerleading squad has just recently moved to participate in competitive cheerleading after the NAIA took steps to host Competitive Cheer and Dance as a National Championship sport.

The Redhawks cheer squad, which is a co-ed team, placed second at the NAIA Cheerleading Invitational Competition in February of this year, which earned them a bid to the NAIA National Competition in April.

There, the squad placed fifth nationally in their first year of competitive cheerleading.

Martin Methodist's team has 15 returning underclassmen from this year, with only one junior represented out of the returners.