By J1 Reporter Clare Eckert

Many of us remember what it was like to attend Marian sports clinics as a young girl. In awe of the older high school students, we were inspired to one day attend Marian and participate in a clinic of our own. 

  On Friday, Oct. 27, Marian Select Cheer Team hosted Ghouls Night Out, a Halloween themed clinic for young girls wanting to experience what it is like to be a Marian cheerleader. The clinic cost $35 and was open to girls grades Pre-K to fifth grade. There were about 49 girls in attendance. They learned cheers, dances, and played fun games. 

      Clinics like this present the perfect opportunity for young girls to experience what it is like to be a Marian girl. Sophomore Sophia Shillcutt has been on the cheer team for two years. “I think the clinic gave the girls’ confidence and gave them a good experience on what high school cheer could look like,” she said. The clinic is a positive way for young girls to be immersed in the culture of high school cheer.         

       Though the Ghouls Night Out clinic serves as a great way to inspire young girls to come to Marian, that is not all it does. Ghouls Night Out is also Marian Select Cheer’s main fundraiser for their competitions. 

       And this year, the Marian Select Cheer team is working to make Marian Cheer history. For the first time ever, the Marian Select Cheer Team is attending UCA’s National High School Cheerleading Championship in Orlando, Florida. The team raised a whopping $1,361.36 from the Ghouls Night Out event only. The team also raised a total of $8,250 from sponsor donations. In addition to the Ghouls Night Out fundraiser and sponsor donations, the team also raised money through fundraiser nights at Don and Millie’s, Clean Eatz, and Chipotle. The Clean Eatz fundraiser alone, a partnership with a UNO Women’s Athletic Fundraiser, generated about $1,000.  

       However, the team has not stopped there, as they continue to fundraise. The team is hoping to organize a bake sale as well. The cost of  UCA Nationals, for the entire team, is approximately $20,000-22,000. The trip is not funded through Marian, so all trip expenses are paid for exclusively by the Cheerleader’s families and the money raised. 

      Coach Kayleigh Hanson has been a part of Marian Cheer for five years and Coach Fayth Jackson has been a part of Marian Cheer for three years. Coach Kayleigh Hanson talks a little bit about why the team deserves this opportunity, “Marian’s Cheer Team has grown so much and I think our girls really want it this season. They set their goals early this summer and have been flexible as a team to hit all their stunts and make their routines performance ready.” 

        Junior Harper Hogan has been on the Select Cheer Team for three years. She talks about why she thinks it has taken such a long time for the team to go to nationals, “Nebraska has strict laws on what we are allowed to compete at state, which has made it harder to practice the skills we will execute at nationals. But last year the laws were changed, making it so we can practice more difficult skills.” 

        She also explains how the Select Team has increased their practice time and skill level to prepare for nationals, “This year to prepare for nationals we added an extra practice leading up to Regionals and a required tumbling class. We have also increased our skill level while stunting.” These three practices are not including their whole team practice for sideline cheer. The girls practice four times a week in total.

        Marian Select Cheer Team attended regionals on Saturday, Nov. 11 where they obtained a bid for their traditional routine. They will attend nationals on Feb. 7.