With football winding down and basketball season starting up, the cheerleaders have been pretty busy lately. From being on the field pepping up the football team to gearing up for basketball, these spirit leaders, are embracing another year.
Midnight Madness is a staple in the season for the squad, as it is a chance for them to showcase their talents, since they do not participate in competitions. Senior and captain of the squad Aislyn Wilson said the event takes the place of a competition because the girls get to perform a competition-style routine.
This year has been better than most for the squad because there were no mishaps immediately before their performance.
Wilson said the team has had a midnight madness curse.
The two prior years proved to be somewhat of a disaster for the squad. An ACL was torn during a routine as well as an Achilles tendon torn right before.
This year one girl ended up with mono, but the team was able to recover with a week to prepare. That makes this year “definitely the best we’ve done because we broke the curse,” Wilson said.
The girls claim that to be a cheerleader and be involved in all that campus has to offer is very doable. These girls are in clubs, take full class loads and are even a part of the Homecoming musical “Annie.”
The cheerleaders keep coming back year after year because of the unity they experience with each other and the chance to be a participant in events they would normally be watching around campus.
“I really love the girls I get to meet,” said sophomore Karli Blickenstaff, “It’s really fun to be in the middle of [the action] instead of on the outside. I would be there anyway. I like to yell for them and encourage them.”
