Drills and Spills; As cheerleaders fly higher, injury rates rise and some falls are crippling, even fatal. New rules could help.

Publication: Newsweek

Publication Date: 31-OCT-05

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Byline: Arian Campo-Flores (With Ben Whitford and Jessica Silver-Greenberg)

It was a dream come true for Ashley Burns when the lithe 14-year-old with the blue-ribboned ponytail and squeaky voice learned in July that she'd landed a cherished spot on the varsity cheerleading squad at Medford Vocational-Technical High School in Massachusetts. To celebrate, she and a friend got pedicures and tooled around town in a convertible blasting their favorite tunes. One week after joining the team, Burns was at practice, preparing to perform a stunt called a "double down." Held aloft by four cheerleaders gripping one of her feet, she was thrust into the air. But instead of completing two twists and landing on her back in her teammates' arms, she landed...

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