THS cheerleaders headed to state competition

When Timberlake High School cheerleaders want to tumble, they beg basketball players for a few inches of the court for their floor mats. Cheer squad practice is often scheduled for 6:30 to 7 a.m. That’s the only free time in the gym. Most rehearsals are held in school hallways, where unforgiving floors and glass windows curtail any spiraling through the air.

It’s been a trying season, said captains Ashley Hinkelmann and Ashton Corbit. Between members with concussions, a broken nose and strep throat, the team has faced hardships. After paying $300 for a choreographer, they didn’t like the results so came up with their own routine. Hinkelmann did a handspring at a basketball game and dislocated a thumb.

“I landed funky on it,” she said. “People say cheerleading isn’t a sport, but see how many black eyes and bruises we get.”

Despite the challenges, on March 19 the team of 15 girls and one brave guy will travel to Boise for a state competition. They placed first in the regional 3A division, meant for smaller schools with meager resources. They won over Priest River, Troy and Orofino. Both Coeur d’Alene (5A division) and Post Falls (4A) high schools have teams readying for state. They each won first-place awards in the North Idaho district competition this winter.

For a school of 400 students, Timberlake’s squad is large and popular. This year 52 students tried out, and about 30 made the cut for varsity and junior varsity. Unlike larger schools, the majority of Timberlake’s cheerleaders have no formal gymnastics training. They learn their jumps and kicks from the seasoned members of the team.

Hinkelmann was drawn into cheerleading by her mother’s dream, who was a high school cheerleader herself.

“My mom begged me to do it,” she said. “In eighth grade I learned how to fly, so I really liked it.”

Standing barely 5 feet tall, Hinkelmann makes an ideal “flyer.” She’s the one who is tossed, flipped and, hopefully, caught midair. She started taking gymnastic lessons her freshman year and has been the THS captain for two years. She’s traveled for demonstration shows with an elite cheer team from Funtastics in Coeur d’ Alene. She would have competed with the All Star Universal Cheerleader team in London this winter, if not for the $2,000 fee.

Hinkelmann was her junior class president and at 18 is dual-enrolled at North Idaho College. She hopes to cheer in college and become a pediatrician. Her grade-point average is 3.6.

Her co-captain, Corbit, is more typical of the THS cheerleaders. She’s never had gymnastics training and raises 4-H pigs in her spare time.

“We’re definitely a North Idaho cheer squad,” she said.

With at least four inches on Hinkelmann, Corbit takes the role of “base.” Her job is to stand on the ground and provide structure to the cheerleader-atop-cheerleader formations. Both captains’ roles are subject to injuries.

“Just yesterday I got a knee to the chest and a foot to the face,” Corbit said.

But she’s not complaining. “No whining” is one of the team rules and the captains possess natural leadership qualities, said coach Kathy Shaner. The English teacher has coached since 1999, when the squad consisted of eight members.

Corbit, 17, has been cheering since seventh grade and has been a base ever since. She likes the feeling of control. She’s the senior class president and, along with Hinkelmann, is active in the school’s Ignite mentoring program.

“I’ve always been in charge,” she said. “I’ve never strived to be, it just came on me.”

She doesn’t have a specific career goal yet, but will study up on “people skills” in college, which she’s been practicing as captain. Some of the most outgoing students try out for the squad and it’s difficult to channel their energy, Corbit said.

“It’s the sweet with the sour,” she said. “The girls look up to you, but when you have to get on them, they resent you.”

Each year the squad raises funds through a camp held in conjunction with Lakeland High School. They teach cheering skills to kids aged 6 to 13. They had 65 future recruits participating last fall. A day of training is followed by a live performance at a football game.

Other funds come from concession sales, car washes and jewelry sales. For the Boise trip, the district and school are supplying money for all but the hotel.

The team will be judged on sharpness of routine, originality and choreography. They’ll see other schools competing who have every advantage, such as mirrored studios, dance instructors and professional coaches.

“It’s tough, but we all make do,” Corbit said.

Idaho cheer coaches are sponsoring the Boise competition. A pilot state contest was held last year. Shaner hopes that the Idaho High School Activities Association will make it a sanctioned sporting event next year.

“Cheerleading has been evolving for a long time,” she said. “It’s quasi-sport, quasi-activity. It has the rules of sport, but not the perks.”

Shaner was a high school cheerleader herself and has had four students go on to college with cheer scholarships. Three of them were male. Competition for females is fierce, she said. The school district limits cheer contests to three per year and they can’t conflict with regular cheer duties. The THS squad cheers for volleyball, basketball, football and wrestling teams. More competitions could give the girls a better shot at college awards, Shaner believes.

“They’re not the stereotypical, bubble-headed girls who couldn’t make an athletic team,” she said. “That’s totally changed. I have athletes on my team.”