By Chris Cox
Leon Bluestem head coach Holle McQuitty had two big goals entering the year, be better than last year and grow in numbers. McQuitty says those goals have been met.
“Bluestem has struggled with a lack of numbers,” McQuitty says. “This is my second year coaching and last year I had eight girls and this year I had 10. While that’s a small amount of growth, it is a work in progress and I’m happy with it.”
Just by having have 10 girls this year McQuitty says she’s been able to do much more with the Leon Bluestem cheerleaders.
“During our camp we focused a lot on cheers and band dances to get those perfected,” she says. “Then, once school starts, the bulk of our work is on stunts. Growing our team has helped. Instead of having one stunt group, now we have two strong ones. That grows our participation because the other athletes at our school see we are doing cool stuff and want to come join.”
Another reason McQuitty thinks her team is consistently growing is the personality of the squad.
“They are very goofy,” she says. “While they do come to practice and work hard, a lot of the time they are also joking with each other and telling stories. We have a lot of inside jokes. All of their personalities are very outgoing. They are also very good examples of leaders in our schools. It’s a good group of girls that mesh together very well.”
McQuitty says her seniors set the mood for the squad.
“My seniors are great,” McQuitty says. “Grace has been a cheerleader all four years of high school. She is who I call the Mother Hen. She is also taking care of others and anything you need, she has it. She also is the one who calls the cheers and is a leader. Cadence was a transfer last year and keeps the entertainment going. She’s our space cadet to say the least. She’s been a great addition to the team. Finally, Emilia is a foreign exchange student from Austria. She adds a different dynamic to our team and I’m thankful she got to experience cheer here.”
The Leon Bluestem cheer squad includes Emilia Laczkovics (Sr.), Cadence Noll (Sr.), Grace Turner (Sr.), Cierra Hockett (Jr.), Makell Crenshaw (So.), Heaven Crissup (So.), Joee Farthing (So.), Brooklyn Korte (So.), Mallory Potter (So.), and Brodey Knipp (Fr.).
