Wv Cheerleaders Are Peppy Performers In Class, Too Team Has Best Grades Of Any Squad In State

It takes more than just pep and a pretty face to be a cheerleader at West Valley High School.

It also takes brains.

With a team grade point average of 3.671, West Valley’s cheerleaders have the highest GPA of any cheer squad in the state, according to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. As academic state champions, the WV cheer squad will be honored this week at the WIAA/U.S. Bank State Basketball Tournament in Tacoma.

“One of the good things about this award is that it recognizes these girls as students, and not just as cheerleaders,” said Cathy Wolfrum, West Valley’s cheer squad coach. “There’s a stereotype that cheerleaders are brainless and all they do is jump around, but that’s not how these girls are.”

West Valley High School’s cheerleaders are: Seniors Heather Beese, Patti Kelly, Meagan Marsh, Sasha Jordan, Michele Weinman, Peggy Palmer, Jenny Lebsack, Jolie Jenson, and juniors Josie Naccarato and Abby Palmer.

Two of the 10 WV cheerleaders are covaledictorians of their class. One is the student body president. Five have part-time jobs. And all of them do volunteer work.

“They’re very disciplined,” said Wolfrum, who is also a history teacher and the activities director at West Valley. “The more they have to do, the better their time is scheduled.”

The cheerleaders spend 12 to 15 hours each week practicing and cheering at games. They practice at 6:30 a.m. and, on some days, the girls have to cheer two basketball games in a row - four straight hours of yelling, jumping and dancing to pump up the crowd. When they cheer for wrestling matches, they are on their feet all day.

Cheerleading itself is a sport to these girls. In addition to having a coach, actual game time, and team practices, “we sweat,” said Marsh, who makes up most of the squad’s dance routines.

With so much going on in their lives, it’s hard to find time to study, says Kelly, one of the covaledictorians.

“It’s a challenge,” said Kelly, who also has a part-time job. “Winning this award shows that all our hard work has paid off.”

All 10 girls take advanced placement classes and have an average of two or three hours of homework a day. Sometimes they study together, but most of their homework gets done in the van on their way to games.

On top of all their responsibilities, the girls still try to have some sort of social life. They spend time with their boyfriends, go to dances and parties, hang out together at McDonald’s after a game.

“We try to do everything,” Marsh said.

Their coach lets West Valley’s cheerleaders know that there’s always room for improvement.

“I’m their harshest critic, and they know it,” Wolfrum said. “But I guess I am their surrogate mother in a way. … They know I care about them, that I want them to be disciplined and challenge themselves.”