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Performing a high-kick, Maylee Jemibewon ’26 and Katelyn Wiley ’27 fiercely dance in unison with the rest of their teammates. The cheerleaders danced along to the beat of the loud performing band, contributing to the bright school spirited atmosphere.
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Maintaining their strength and balance, Lauren Patterson ’26 and Luna Merhebi ’27 hold Mia Zell ’28 by the arms as she flips in the air. This stunt earned energized claps from the crowd as they anticipate what comes next.
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Concentrating on the sequence of their dance, the cheerleaders maintain their balance while being lifted up. Once flipped back down, the cheerleaders moved on to the next part of their performance.
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Stacked together, Luna Merhebi ’28, Stella Kling ’29, and Sloane Stokley ’28 link their arms together. To maintain balance their teammates coordinate together to hold them up with care.
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Arms linked and smiling brightly, the cheerleaders conclude their dance routine. The observing crowd clapped and cheered at the performance, firing up their school spirit.
Determined to deliver another show-stopping performance, the cheer team impressed the audience during the pep rally at the Westwood Field House on Friday, Oct. 10. In preparation for their newest performances, the cheerleaders were hard at work, practicing every day the week leading up to the pep rally.
Evoking cheers from the audience, the cheerleaders gave their all with their newly learned skills of performing stunts. Although difficult to execute, they smiled,waved, and put their best foot forward to entertain the crowded gym.
“I hope that they just enjoy and appreciate how much work we put into our routines and our stunts,” Jill Benefield ‘28 said. “A lot of the [stunts] that we’ve tried at pep rallies are very difficult so we have to work on them for a couple of weeks before we finally get them. I think that eventually we always get the skills at the end and it’s so much fun.”
With the new stunts that were planned, the cheerleaders required multiple weeks to practice their new routine and stunts before finally showing off their new skills at the pep rally. After buffing up their routine and learning how to prevent previous mistakes, the team had faith as they prepared to take charge and push through their new performance with confidence.
“[The cheerleaders] are very prepared in their routine, they thrive under the pressure and I just try to encourage them and give them the most thoughts and prayers,” Cheer Coach Kristen Russsel said. “They work really well under pressure and having all eyes on them and it allows them to perform the best they can.”
Although intimidating at first, the team tackles these pre-show jitters to stay motivated before entering the loud, energetic atmosphere of the pep rally. Remaining calm, the cheerleaders allowed their muscle memory to take over, creating another memorable performance at the third pep rally of the year.
“Normally I say a little prayer just so I can be fun and energetic and feel secure in my performance,” Benefield said.
At this pep rally, the cheerleaders prepared more advanced stunts than previous showings, including a large pyramid stack to end their performance. Allowing themselves to trust one another, the team led another successful show that thrilled the audience.
“We got to do different stunts than usual and had a lot of fun together while we were learning and performing them,” Lauren Patterson ‘26 said. “We put our all into this performance and we all believe in each other.”
