Team USA Coed and All Girl Teams Announced for 2011

MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- USA Cheer is pleased to announce its team members for 2011. The Coed and All Girl teams will represent the United States at the 3rd Annual International Cheer Union (ICU) World Championship in Orlando, Fla. on April 28 and 29.

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The ICU World Championship showcases the top cheerleaders from every member nation; there are now 97 nations. Team USA has won a combined 12 medals in the last two years. This year's team includes cheerleaders from all over the United States, from Hawaii to Maine.

Team USA is sponsored by Great Wolf Resorts, Inc., North America's largest family of indoor waterparks with 11 of locations nationwide. Team USA athletes will be training at Champion Cheer in Dallas.

"We are especially excited about this year's team," says Bill Seely, Executive Director of USA Cheer. "The athletes that make up Team USA are among the best cheerleaders in the country, and we are proud to have them representing the United States."

This year's coaches represent a wide range of American cheerleading. Sherry Cooney will return as head coach for the all girl team for Team USA, with Tony Nash as the assistant coach. Cooney has coached teams at George Mason University and the University of West Georgia, and is also a certifier for the safety organization, AACCA.  Nash, former coach for the National Champion Morehead State University team, is the current coach of the all girl team at Indiana University, and is joining the Team USA coaching staff for his third year.

David McDowell will be the head coach for the coed team for the second year in a row after leading the team to a world championship in 2010. McDowell, a former National Champion at the University of Kentucky, has more than 10 years of coaching experience and is the current coach at the University of Alabama. Leroy McCullough, coach for Oklahoma State University's spirit squads, who won two National Championships under his leadership, will serve as assistant coach.

Team USA will compete against teams from more than 60 other countries from around the world in April 2011 at the ICU World Championships in Orlando, Florida.  Over the last two years, Team USA has taken home 11 gold medals and one silver. Cheerleaders interested in trying out for the team can visit the USA Cheer website at http://usacheer.net for more information.

About USA Cheer

The USA Federation for Sport Cheering is a not-for profit organization and is the national governing body for sport cheering. USA Cheer exists to serve the cheer community, including club cheering (All Star) and traditional school based cheer programs. USA Cheer has three primary objectives: help grow and develop interest and participation in Cheer throughout the United States; promote safety and safety education for cheer in the United States; and, represent the United States of America in international cheer competitions.  For more information, contact Bill Seely at 901-218-7665.

About Great Wolf Resorts, Inc.

Great Wolf Resorts, Inc.® (Nasdaq: WOLF), Madison, Wis., is North America's largest family of indoor waterpark resorts, and, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, owns and operates its family resorts under the Great Wolf Lodge® and Blue Harbor Resort™ brands. Great Wolf Resorts is a fully integrated resort company with Great Wolf Lodge locations in: Wisconsin Dells, Wis.; Sandusky, Ohio; Traverse City, Mich.; Kansas City, Kan.; Williamsburg, Va.; the Pocono Mountains, Pa.; Niagara Falls, Ontario; Mason, Ohio; Grapevine, Texas; Grand Mound, Wash.; and Charlotte/Concord, N.C.; and Blue Harbor Resort & Conference Center in Sheboygan, Wis. Through Great Wolf Resorts' environmental sustainability program, Project Green Wolf™, the company is the first and only national hotel chain to have all U.S. properties Green Seal™ Certified – Silver.

The company's resorts are family-oriented destination facilities that generally feature 300 – 600 rooms and a large indoor entertainment area measuring 40,000 – 100,000 square feet. The all-suite properties offer a variety of room styles, arcade/game rooms, fitness rooms, themed restaurants, spas, supervised children's activities and other amenities. Additional information may be found on the company's website at www.greatwolf.com.

SOURCE USA Cheer