Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Cheerleaders have been practicing since mid-August
Front Row: Clarissa Espana, Deja Williams co-captain 2nd Row: Melany Lane, Kitty Lambert, Lilli Patterson, Grace Coulston Back Row: JV Coach Michelle Swan, Kenzie Dobbs, Kira Boggs (on shoulders), Brooke Wollens, Veronika Grace, Eric Hallee, Hannah Tiner, Jurnee Griffen, Kylee Laughlin co-captain (on shoulders), Head Coach Vickie Hamann Not pictured: Olivia Ortiz
WAITSBURG - Head cheer coach Vickie Hamman and JV coach Michelle Swan are looking forward to an enthusiastic year. Fifteen D-W cheerleaders, five from Dayton and 10 from Waitsburg, have turned out for the fall season. This is Swan's first experience coaching cheer, but she has also coached Color Guard. It is Hamann's tenth year coaching at Waitsburg.
Four of the varsity cheerleaders are seniors with at least three years of cheer experience. The other members of the varsity squad are sophomores who cheered last year for either football or basketball, Hamman said.
Deja Williams and Kylee Laughlin will share the captain duties. Deja is a senior with three years of experience and Kylee is a sophomore who cheered for basketball last year.
"Both young ladies are great leaders. Most of the junior varsity squad members are new to cheer. We rely on the leadership of the varsity squad to teach the cheers and fight songs to the junior varsity squad," Hamann said.
Last year, the first year of the D-W football combine, JV and varsity each had their own separate cheer programs. There were six varsity and four JV football cheerleaders. Varsity practiced in Dayton and the JV squad practiced in Waitsburg. This year both squads practice together in Waitsburg at the Preston Hall Gym.
The JV squad will cheer at the JV football games and join in some halftime performances during varsity games, while the varsity squad will cheer only at the varsity games.
In mid-August, the team kicked off their practices with a cheer camp at Waitsburg High School. Instructors from Universal Cheer Association taught cheers, dances, stunting and the role of a cheerleader on and off the field, Hamann said. Basketball cheerleaders also participated making a total of 19 students from Dayton and Waitsburg that attended the camp.
"The fall cheer season is off to a great start and everyone is enthusiastic and working well together," Hamann said.
Varsity cheerleaders are: Kylee Laughlin, Deja Williams, Kira Boggs, Grace Coulston, Kenzie Dobbs, Clarissa Espana, Jurnee Griffen, Kitty Lambert and Olivia Ortiz.
Junior varsity cheerleaders are: Veronika Grace, Eric Hallee, Melany Lane, Lilli Patterson, Hannah Tiner and Brooke Wollens.
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