The football cheerleading squad more than doubled in size from last year.

Growing from four members to ten, this past season the cheerleading squad grew in more ways than size.

One change involved Angie Zehr taking over as cheer coach. “Dealing with so many girls this year was difficult. There were so many unique personalities that we had to work through multiple conflicts,” Zehr said.

Being able to attend Vertical, a trampoline park in Dubuque, was an interesting experience for the cheerleaders where they were able to bond by cheering each other on through the Ninja Warrior where cheerleaders expressed their frustrations by hitting each other with an enormous cushioned stick.

“Being able to start the football season off with going to Vertical helped us see past our differences,” Addy Rieken (12). “Being able to bond helped us become stronger as a team.”

Zehr noticed that not all of the cheerleaders were performing some of the cheers in the same way. Together they agreed to do the sharpest and cleanest movements. “The girls learned how to communicate with each other nicely and how to perform each cheer the same way and in sync,” Zehr said.  

Rieken enjoyed the changes. She said, “This year was better because we had more girls and were able to perform and practice stunts.”

The cheerleaders appreciated the compliments from the crowd and Superintendent Kristen Rickey.

“When the student section cheered for the cheerleaders after they did a kick at the end of the ‘Hey, Freshman’ cheer, I thought it was heartwarming,” Zehr said.