It’s all about team for Linfield Cheer

Grace Bruncke, Arts and Entertainment Co-Editor

The Linfield Cheer squad rallies around the Linfield football team each week full of joy and spirit.

There are seventeen members of the team this year who are all dedicated to support Linfield athletics.

Members of the cheer team put in many hours each week going through their dances, cheers, and perfecting new stunts.

Cheerful, goofy and exuberant are all words that can be used to describe the 2016 Linfield cheer team. The squad is thrilled to be supporting the football team on another winning season.

The team began rebuilding itself two years ago, and team members are proud of how far they have come and look forward to the future.

According to Kaitlyn Carmody, ’19, “the team has done more team bonding and is more involved in the community.” This off the field work has helped them improve on the field skills.

The team is determined to get Wildcat fans pumped in new ways this year.

“We are trying to learn stunts that are more exciting,” Shayla Phillips, ’20 said.

Stunting means hours of practice to keep all members of the team safe. The team has expanded their stunting leaps and bounds from previous seasons.

“We are not there for the outfits, we are there for the team. Not because we have to, but because we want to,” Carmody said.

These cheerleaders have a love for Linfield and want to support their team, no matter what. Cheering at the games is their favorite part of the season. They spend hours practicing per week preparing for the games so when the time comes the team is ready to show off its new skills.

Staying energized for four quarters can be a challenge. Phillips stays cheerful by drinking tons of water all day long and feels an extra energy boost when she gets to refresh her lipstick. Other members of the team make a quick coffee run pre-game.

The squad looks forward to being more involved with the student section this year. They have been working to make their dances more exciting, their cheers more engaging, and their stunts more entertaining.

Phillips said her favorite part of cheering is watching the crowd go wild and support the Wildcats. Fans are a vital piece of the cheerleaders’ plan to support the football team to the postseason.

This season the team is excited to show Linfield students halftime shows, improved tumbling, and new stunts. The team loves the support from its fans and looks forward to helping the Linfield football team to many wins.