Oct. 25, 2010
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ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - UCF Athletics would like to offer its deepest condolences to Yvonne and Howard Johnson, of Lutz, Florida, on the tragic loss of their daughter, Kristal, a standout cheerleader for UCF from 2003-06.
"Kristal was such a gifted athlete," said Head Coach Linda Gooch. "She was a highly-regarded team member and friend to all. She will be deeply missed."
Kristal was a four-year Letterwinner in cheerleading for UCF and was a member of the Knights' historic National Championship squad as a freshman in 2003. That year, the Knights turned in a flawless routine of tumbling, stunts and cheers to claim the Universal Cheerleading Association College Cheerleading National Championship at Disney's Wide World of Sports and in the process broke a string of eight consecutive national titles by the University of Kentucky.
As noted by coach Gooch, Kristal was an amazing and vibrant performer. Her talents were recognized nationally by her senior season, earning a coveted spot on the 2006 College Cheerleading All-American Team as selected by Inside Cheerleader Magazine.
Johnson would join her teammates Randy Brown and Jackie Martin on that same All-America squad in 2006. Said Coach Gooch shortly after the announcement, "This is the first time that we have ever had student-athletes chosen for this honor, and to have three is just really exciting. It was especially huge having Kristal on the cover. The added exposure this gives our program will help us with visibility and recruiting."
Johnson, who studied speech pathology at UCF and attended Tampa's H.W. Blake High School, was subsequently featured on the national cover of the magazine as one of the "Head of the Class" selections.
A Memorial Service will be held at 1:30pm Sunday October 31 for Kristal Johnson
Bay Area Church of Christ
3905 Orange St.
Mango, FL 33550
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Kristal Johnson Memorial Fund, which will be used to fund scholarships for UCF Cheerleaders.
Checks should be made payable and sent to:
UCF Cheerleading
c/o Golden Knight Club & The Kristal Johnson Memorial Fund
P.O. Box 163555
Orlando, FL 32816-3555