Dawson County High School graduate Tiffany Burgess has been named a member of the University of Georgia cheerleading squad for the 2008 season.

Burgess will cheer at all home football games for the No. 1-ranked Bulldogs this season. On away games, she will split games.

Tiffany will travel to the Sept. 20 game in Tempe, Arizona against Arizona State.

The game will be televised nationally on ABC at 8 p.m.

Burgess will also cheer for both boys’ and girls’ basketball, volleyball and gymnastics at the university. She also hopes to be on the competitive squad during the winter.

In preparation for the season Burgess begins with practice and weightlifting at 6:30 a.m., four days a week. The squad began practice in June and attended the University of Alabama cheer camp.

Game days during football season begin at 7:30 a.m. making appearances to over 25 different groups, which include the Alumni Association at UGA. They also have small pep rallies throughout the campus. About two and a half hours before kick-off they participate in the DAWG WALK.

Burgess was named All-State and an All-American while attending Dawson County High School. She cheered for Coach Kim Fleming. Burgess is believed to be the first girl from Dawsonville to cheer at the University of Georgia.

Burgess is the daughter of Thad and Barbara Burgess.

Her dad is the head boys’ basketball coach at Dawson County High School.

E-mail Pam Jacobs at sports@dawsonnews.com.