Hamilton Cheer Bids Farewell to Seniors
Photo by Roberta Pratt.
Izzy Pack
With winter sports seasons coming to a close, so does cheerleading. The girls and boy on this multi-season team, both fall and winter, have worked hard throughout these past ten months. The team has committed to attendance at every football game–home, away, and playoff–and a competition season filled with hard earned victories, including 3rd place for Game Day routine and 3rd place for Traditional routine at the WACPC Cheer State Championships. While this has been a season of many ups and downs, the members of this team have continued to persevere.
With a team of 15, we have bonded throughout the season, impacting each other in different ways. Going with this, I can say with total confidence that each one of our seniors has impacted someone in a different way, whether it is that they pushed us harder in tumbling or stunts, or we saw them as mentors, or as a friend. I want to shine a spotlight and give you all a chance to know them almost as well as I do–the graduating seniors of 2024, whom I am proud to call my teammates.
Farrah Flucas
How long have you been cheering?
I’ve been cheering since I was 8 years old.
What is your favorite cheer memory?
My favorite cheer memory is going to NCA camp at Carthage. This year was especially fun. When you are at NCA camp, your team gets assigned a certain floor in the dorms. This year, the floor below us kept stealing our food from the shared fridge and pantry. We wanted our food back, so during lunch, we decided to go and investigate. We found all of our food and took it back. Later that night our food was gone again, so the next day we took it back again. Unfortunately, Lucas got caught mid-act and was chased around the dorm halls and the stairs by the team. While Lucas was being charged he yelled, “fee-fi-fo four more burgers please” at the guy chasing him. Since that day that phrase is something our team constantly says.
What do you think is your favorite/best cheer goal you've accomplished?
My favorite cheer goal I’ve accomplished is winning state. Winning State was super rewarding after all the extra time we had to put in to win. Sophomore year was a rebuilding year for the cheer team because all the seniors had left. A lot of people didn’t really have confidence that we could win state. We decided to try out a new division called Game Day, which is what we placed first in. Not only did we prove a lot of people wrong, but we also improved a lot as a team.
What are your plans for after graduation?
After graduation, I plan to enjoy summer with my friends and family. Next fall, I plan to attend Iowa State, and I’m majoring in Finance.
What will you miss most about cheer?
Something I will miss about cheer is seeing my friends as often as I do when we are in season. During the cheer season, we get super close with one another and are able to constantly talk to each other for at least three days of the week. Without cheer, our schedules may no longer line up, and we might not be able to see each other as often.
How has cheer impacted your life?
Cheer gave me a lot of my friends. Some of my current friends I met in 7th grade when I first tried school cheer. We’ve gotten to see each other grow up and be there for each other during good and bad times. The friends I have met in cheer have supported me, pushed me to be my best, and helped me become who I am today. Without cheer, I would be a totally different person.
What is one lesson you've learned from cheer?
One lesson I’ve learned from cheer is that you shouldn’t be scared to try new things. When I tried out for cheer I was a side base, and once the season started up I had to learn how to main. This was uncomfortable for me at first because I had to start from scratch on grips for libs, spinning skills, and inversions. What this helped me realize is that by becoming too comfortable with something I was limiting myself. Now I know that I need to push past my comfort zone to really be the best I can be.
““Farrah has been a leader the team has depended on throughout her time at Hamilton, and she’s always pitching in to help teammates and coaching staff. She’s our official ‘jump queen’ and a powerhouse base who makes everyone feel secure in the air. Her warm personality will be missed as will her passion for this sport!” ”
Avandra Trujillo
How long have you been cheering?
I have been cheering since 7th grade, Templeton cheer until now.
What is your favorite cheer memory?
My favorite memory was winning state in my sophomore year.
What do you think is your favorite/best cheer goal you've accomplished?
My best accomplishment would be getting my backhand spring because it took a very long to earn it.
What are your plans for after graduation?
I plan to go to college at UW-Oshkosh for nursing.
What will you miss most about cheer?
I will miss my friends the most because I’ve kept these close friends since 7th grade.
How has cheer impacted your life?
Cheer has impacted my life by giving me close friends and a sport I love, and has also helped with my confidence so that I can go out in crowds to perform without much of an issue.
What is one lesson you've learned from cheer?
“Cheer has taught me to go out of my comfort zone, meet new people, and try new things because these new experiences can change your life.”
““Tori constantly keeps the team laughing. Her goofiness can come in handy when practices get tense. The amount of off-the-wall photos and videos I have of her alone on my phone is unreal! She’s grown so much as an athlete since sophomore year when she made the varsity team. Tori has a big heart and that’s something I’ll always treasure.” ”
Gabby Stern
How many years have you been cheering?
I’ve been cheering for 6 years.
What is your favorite cheer memory?
My favorite cheer memory is definitely when we won state in 2022! It was my first year on varsity and the whole season leading up to that moment was so much fun and very successful! Cheering at the games and getting to engage with the student section was so much fun! (*But also at cheer camp, when Lucas and I were chased up three flights of stairs by Loyola because they stole our food and we were trying to get it back! :) ‘fee fi fo 4 more burgers please!’ -Lucas Wozniak).
What do you think your favorite/best cheer goal you’ve accomplished is?
I think it’s nice to acknowledge the fact that I went from a JV cheerleader freshman year to being an All-American cheerleader at NCA Speed Camp. Before this year at cheer camp, I was never eligible to try out for All-American because I was either injured or didn’t have the skills required. The fact that I was even able to try out made me so happy and just proved to myself that I’ve grown so much.
What are your plans for after graduation?
After I graduate from Hamilton, I want to continue my education and go to college. I am currently undecided as to what college I will be attending in the fall; however, I plan to major in marketing/business and minor in Spanish.
What will you miss most about cheer?
I will miss the feeling of running onto the mat with my team at every competition! The feeling of waiting to hear the announcer call you onto the floor is unlike anything else, and I’m really gonna miss our team talks when we just hype each other up before taking the floor.
How has cheer impacted your life?
Cheer has given me all of my closest friends and amazing coaches who have seen me at my best and my worst. These are the people I can be my complete self around and can count on to be there for me. Cheer has made me more resilient and accountable. It took a lot of resilience from our team as a whole to be able to make so many changes to our routines throughout the season, while also continuing to support our football and basketball teams. Being a senior and veteran on the team, I’ve been expected to hold myself and my teammates accountable throughout the season.
What is one lesson you learned from cheer?
Honestly, I’ve learned how to work with others and give my everything to each routine whether I’m on the floor or not. It’s huge to be able to encourage your teammates on and off the mat. When you’re tired, but have a moment to breathe for yourself, you use that moment to talk to anyone and everyone around you because they may not have that time to breathe. I’ve learned to put the team’s needs above what I want. If you’re not going to do it for yourself, do it for the people around you.
““Gabby is so much fun to watch and has developed from a timid flyer into a confident base over the course of her cheer career. I was really proud to watch her crush her NCA tryout and be selected as an All-American at camp! I won’t soon forget all our quality time together after performances (iykyk).””
Bella Polidori
How long have you been cheering?
I have been cheering for six years. I started in 7th grade.
What is your favorite cheer memory?
My favorite cheer memory is when we won state in 2022. All of our hard work paid off, and it was such a fun moment to hear our name announced.
What do you think is your favorite/best cheer goal you've accomplished?
My favorite and best cheer goal that I accomplished was when I did a lib (a stunt where you hold a girl up on one leg) for the first time. It was super cool to me because I had never done anything like it. It also opened the door to new stunts, and my skills only grew from there.
What are your plans for after graduation?
My plan after high school is to attend UW-Whitewater for business. I also plan on studying abroad in Europe.
What will you miss most about cheer?
What I will miss most about cheer is competitions. I love the feeling of adrenaline kicking in when you run on the mat. I also will miss football games and cheering the team on with my friends.
How has cheer impacted your life?
Cheer has impacted my life tremendously because I think I am more outgoing because of it. I was very closed off and didn’t have a lot of friends before I joined, and now I am better at making connections.
What is one lesson you've learned from cheer?
One lesson I have learned from cheer is that hard work and dedication pay off. Nothing comes easy in life, and you have to put in effort.
““Bella has been so committed to growing as an athlete and as an individual. She puts in work behind the scenes and has a sense of self-motivation that coaches look for. Bella has always been our ‘sponge’ as she’s great at remembering material. A favorite memory is staying late after practice teaching her how to jump-start a car!” ”
Alanna Mcdougall
How long have you been cheering?
After doing gymnastics and dance, my whole life, I decided to start cheer in grade 11!
What is your favorite cheer memory?
My favorite cheer memory was probably the first time I ever performed on the mat at a competition. I will also never forget senior night and doing a new stunt in a pyramid!
What do you think is your favorite/best cheer goal you've accomplished?
My favorite cheer goal that I accomplished was achieving new stunts as a flyer throughout the season!
What are your plans for after graduation?
I plan to attend a four-year college to earn my bachelor's degree in nursing and become a pediatric nurse.
What will you miss most about cheer?
Something that I'll miss about cheer is the memories and the feeling of competing at competitions. I'll also miss all the people I met throughout the season!
How has cheer impacted your life?
Cheers impacted my life through all the memories along the way, meeting so many new people, and becoming close friends with lots of people. As someone who was new to the school and didn't know many people, joining cheer has created such strong bonds between teammates.
What is one lesson you've learned from cheer?
One lesson that I learned from cheer is to never give up and enjoy every second of the season. When people say time goes fast, it sure does! I also learned when competing at competitions it’s important to leave your whole heart on the floor and give it your all. Smile and have fun, no matter what! :)
““Alanna has made quite an impression in the few interactions that we’ve had. She has such a sweet demeanor and dove in without hesitation when she was asked to be an alternate for our competitive team. Watching her hit her senior pyramid and seeing how happy she looked was a highlight!” ”
Nevaeh Hughes
How long have you been cheering?
I have been cheering since the 7th grade so this is my 6th season.
What is your favorite cheer memory?
My all-time favorite memory has to be camp last year. I was super excited but also a little nervous since I wasn’t able to participate in the camp the previous year. My mom and I spent so much time packing anything I could possibly use but it was only a 2-night, 3-day camp. I ended up learning many new skills as a main base, and I LOVED THE FOOD.
What do you think is your favorite/best cheer goal you've accomplished?
I think my personal favorite goal of mine is getting to compete with traditional this season. I didn’t think I’d be put in the routine as I also compete with show choir and I love doing Game Day, but being involved in traditional pushed me to try new things.
What are your plans for after graduation?
After I graduate I will be attending Arizona State University at the West Campus to major in Forensic Science. I also hope to try out for the stunt team, join student government, and hopefully rush next fall.
What will you miss most about cheer?
I’m not very sure I can pinpoint one thing I’ll miss the most, but I guess I’ll miss the overall environment. I’ve cheered with most of these girls since I first started, and we’ve gone through a lot together. Cheering has always seemed like second nature to me, and it’s a major part of who I am.
How has cheer impacted your life?
Cheer has taught me how to organize and separate my life into different categories. It’s helped me plan ahead and determine how to spend my time. Other than that, I have grown to love sports events whether I’m on the sidelines or in the stands.
What is one lesson you've learned from cheer?
One lesson I’ve learned is that it’s super important to have mental toughness. Earlier in the season, I got injured and I had to stay positive and look forward to the rest of the season. Also, I learned to not put myself down in a negative way if I can’t accomplish something immediately.
““Nevaeh is a phenomenal performer and always gives every performance her all. She’s known for her facials which sports photographer Roberta usually captures so well. Nevaeh never misses an opportunity to dance at competition awards sessions even if she’s the only one doing the Cupid Shuffle. I will miss our Casey’s runs!” ”
Maddy Carlson
How long have you been cheering?
I have been cheering for 6 years from 5-6 competitive cheer, 7-8th on the Templeton middle school cheer team, and 9 and 12th grade on the Hamilton Cheer Team.
What is your favorite cheer memory?
I feel like summer camp overall was a really fun experience!
What do you think is your favorite/best cheer goal you've accomplished?
Getting my standing tuck or round-off back handspring tuck and also learning how to side base.
What are your plans for after graduation?
I am planning on going to Oshkosh and studying business.
What will you miss most about cheer?
The people on the team.
How has cheer impacted your life?
It's helped me meet new people and gain confidence. It has also helped with resilience when we have to change our routines last minute and perform them the next day.
What is one lesson you've learned from cheer?
I have learned to always put in your best effort as you don’t know who is watching.
““Maddy was a new athlete on the team this year after taking time off from cheer. I am so glad I had the opportunity to get to know her. She worked incredibly hard to advance her tumbling skills, and I loved watching her sideline presence improve over the course of the season. I’ll never forget reassembling her dorm bed after it broke at NCA camp!” ”
Lucas Wozniak
How long have you been cheering?
9 months.
What is your favorite cheer memory?
My favorite cheer memory is when we went to Carthage College for cheer camp. Going to camp was a lot of fun, and I definitely made lifelong memories while being there. I gained a ton of new stunting skills while getting to know my teammates better. My favorite memory from camp was when everyone came into my room, and we all played card games.
What do you think is your favorite/best cheer goal you've accomplished?
My favorite cheer accomplishment was getting a switch-up. During camp, our stunt kept falling and I felt like my stunt group was getting mad at me.
What are your plans for after graduation?
I plan on going to the University of Milwaukee for social work.
What will you miss most about cheer?
Most of the people on the team.
How has cheer impacted your life?
Cheer has helped with my confidence.
What is one lesson you've learned from cheer? I’ve learned how to deal with fake/entitled people.
““Lucas has been the most fun addition to our family. We were all so happy he decided to try out despite Hamilton never being coed. He didn’t let that stop him, and he turned out to be a quick learner. Lucas has provided countless hours of entertainment, and I think one of my favorite memories of him is hearing the crowd go wild when we put him up in a stunt on senior night!” ”
