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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Thursday, March 20, 2003
Cheerleaders earn respect one game at a time
By Nancy Blanton
Sul Ross State University
News Writer
This season, Sul Ross State University cheerleaders earned respect one game
at a time.
Defying sometimes-negative stereotypes, the Sul Ross cheerleaders demonstrated
that their qualifications extend well beyond a champagne personality and
a pretty smile. The real qualifications lie in maturity, discipline, dedication
and conviction in the significance in what they are doing, as much as any
athlete on a sports team.
The Sul Ross cheerleader squad is captained by Michelle Rueda, sophomore,
El Paso; and consists of Jessica Orozco, freshman, San Elizario; Stephanie
Estrada, freshman, Monahans; Nanca Rodriguez, freshman, Del Rio; April Gougler,
sophomore Lago Vista; Johnny Ybarra, junior, Alpine; Delma (DeeDee) Molinar,
sophomore, Pecos; Tiffany Niemann, senior, Odessa; Jennifer Velazquez, junior,
Alpine, and Crystalyn Nations, freshman, Harper.
Leading cheers throughout the games only touches the surface. The squad
spends hours throughout the week critiquing and coaching each other on their
form in practice sessions every afternoon.
"Cheerleading requires a lot of different abilities," said Estrada, and
the others cheerleaders nodded in agreement. "Some of it is acrobatics,
dance, athleticism and performance. It's all of those things." All the cheerleaders
expressed that cheerleading, rather than being a stressor or a distraction
from their college studies, actually servers as a constructive activity
that builds teamwork and comradeship among them.
"There is a friendly competition that goes on between us," Estrada said.
"But, we are all supportive," added Orozco, "A big family. What is really
neat is that in most other circumstances none of us would probably ever
get to know each other. Cheerleading has done that for us."
There is no off-season for the cheerleaders. Since the beginning of basketball
season in November, they have been at the all the games, linking the support
and encouragement from the fans to the players while providing entertainment
and enthusiasm throughout the both men's and women's games. Prior to basketball
season, they did the same at the fall football games, and will continue
to appear at the Lobo baseball games throughout the spring.
During the summer, many squad members either teach at cheerleading camp
or attend such camps to improve their timing, skills and routines. Within
the next year, Rueda, as the captain, plans to take the squad into competition
at cheerleading contests.
When not working on perfecting their cheers, squad members choreograph
and rehearse their own dance routines and keep in shape by working out in
aerobics and weight-training rooms, often rising early in the morning to
get to the gym for 6 a.m. workouts. In addition, like professional cheerleading
squads, to generate interest and recognition for the university, cheerleaders
work hard as promoters and representatives of Sul Ross. They are involved
in meeting prospective students at events, such as Super Lobo Saturday or
the upcoming Relay for Life sponsored by the American Cancer Socitey.
The squad is supported by funds from the university, but they also raise
money for travel and hotels through concession sales. Most evenings, squad
members take turns at the Graves-Pierce Recreational Sports Center, selling
concessions at student intramural basketball games as a supplement their
funding.
When the Lobo men's basketball team won the ASC West Division championship
on Feb. 22 in the Pete P. Gallego Center the Sul Ross cheerleaders won a
victory, too. Their payoff was the opportunity to cheer at the conference
tournament at East Texas Baptist University, Marshall.
"We owe a thanks to the university administration and recreation director
Ben Telesca for his help in working with the administration for arranging
the funding that allowed us to be able to travel to Marshall for the semi-final
game," said Rueda. "Ben has been great supporter of our group and has helped
us a lot with many things we've needed."
"We had a blast!" said Tiffany Niemann about the conference championship
games. "It was fun and exciting for everybody."
Niemann, who is the lone senior, knows she will graduate and move on,
but she also knows she will not forget the lessons she has learned as a
college cheerleader in enthusiasm, teamwork and attitude.
Try-outs will be held in April for next year's cheer squad. Rueda said
that there were many high school students who were interested, so they expect
a good turnout.
For more information on attending the tryouts, contact Telesca at btelesca
@sulross.edu, or (915) 837-8299.
Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net
Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium.
Copyright 2003 by Pecos Enterprise
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