By Matt Browning

The Kapaun Mount Carmel Cheer Squad was chosen the ICT Cheer Squad of the Month for June.

“This year our team had to overcome many challenges due to COVID restrictions and policies,” Kapaun cheer coach Carla Brungardt said. “We changed everything about our year and the girls on the team were so adaptable and accepting of change.  It made us closer as a team to go through so many daily changes together.”

Much like other sports and athletes, cheer squads had obstacles they had to overcome this year due to the pandemic.

“We started off cheering to empty stands and did not realize how excited we would be to have even a few spectators,” Brungardt said. “We were required to wear masks on the sidelines, so we accepted that and learned how to cheer loudly through the mask.”

The Crusaders had eight seniors on their cheer squad this year: Maddie Rose, Emily Burgardt, Ella Scott, Jolie Spaulding, Ellie Heiman, Eden Hadley, Lydia Held, and Jacqueline Nguyen.

“They were a great group to work with and their leadership was amazing,” Brungardt said. “The most important thing to me was that they got to cheer as much as possible this year. We successfully made that happen.”