Jacy Holbrook
Staff Writer
A friendly atmosphere fills the AC as several hopeful cheerleaders warm themselves up for the nerve-wracking event that lies ahead of them. There’s an underlying anxiousness that the cheerleaders fill with their nervous chatter as they exchange encouraging words among one another. Several cheerleaders joke around and Christine Moran and Shania Duling even help each other with the task of styling their hair into a clean, professional ponytail. Watching the cheerleaders flip through the air as they practice their best jumps and skills, it is evident that cheer tryouts are in full swing.
“I’ve participated in cheerleading since I was 5, and I love the challenge of learning new dances and tumbling skills. As a high school cheerleader, I enjoy cheering for and supporting all athletic teams at Bishop Carroll,” said Lindsey Baalmann, a returning Varsity Cheerleader.
The cheerleading tryout process is a lot more complicated than one might initially realize. This procedure includes a week of early morning practices where a cheer and dance is taught by graduating seniors, the Bishop Carroll fight song is also taught during the clinic. Teacher evaluations and grades also make up a section in the scoring process.
“Teacher evaluations allow the judges to analyze and choose cheerleaders wisely. By including academic aspects, the judges can determine who will represent the school well, on and off the sidelines,” said Christine Moran, who will be returning for her second year on the Varsity squad.
During the tryout, cheerleaders must show the judges, handpicked WSU Cheerleaders, the learned dance and cheer, and also a 2 eight-count section of dance that the cheerleader has choreographed herself. She is asked to show her best jump, and has the opportunity to tumble (i.e. show a back handspring, cartwheel, etc.) for extra points.
The cheerleaders are obviously judged upon skill level, but a portion of the scoring is also dedicated to showmanship. The cheerleader must smile and look confident all while performing the routines with ease.
“We have to be sharp in our motions, loud with our voices, and smile our hearts out!” said Moran.
The Bishop Carroll Cheerleaders plan to attend cheer camp this summer, where they have performed extremely well in the past. There are high expectations for this year’s new varsity squad.
“We have a very strong Varsity team this year,” said Varsity Cheer coach Becky Eck, “With many returning underclassmen and six strong returning seniors, this Varsity team should be able to achieve great things.”
The 2015-2016 Varsity Cheerleading Squad
Katelyn Adams
Lindsey Baalmann
Lexi Becker
Shania Duling
Maddi Eck
Alayna Irwin
Katelyn Miranowski
Christine Moran
Talia Powers
Alexis Segura
Katie Smith
Alondra Torres-Hernandez
Camille Zarycki
Bailey Zogleman