Four Mabel-Canton Cheerleaders were recently honored with awards:
Most Improved – McKaila Lawrence
“McKaila Lawrence is a new Cougar cheerleader this fall, and shows tremendous potential,” stated Coach Heather Kleiboer. “She is flexible, a good dancer and picks up choreography quickly.
“She is working hard on learning our long cheer list and trying to remember them all. She has a great sense of humor and is good at making the squad laugh. She is working on perfecting her jump technique and I can see her being an All American Nominee in her future.”
Sportsmanship – Brooklyn Wallin and Belle Gerleman
“Brooklyn Wallin was captain of the squad for a second year in a row, and is in her fourth year of cheer. Being in charge of your peers can be a daunting task, but she does a good job of keeping the squad working toward its goals.
“She prepares hard, learns choreography quickly and is someone the newer girls can turn to when they have questions. Brooklyn is hardworking and trustwrothy. We are going to miss her experience on the field next year.”
Belle Gerleman is the youngest cheerleader on the squad and in her second year of cheer.
“She works hard and always has a smile on her face,” Kleiboer said. “Even if frustrated, she will always come back, push through and try to master a skill. She is a great base, very solid and getting stronger. I’m excited to see how she grows into this sport in the future.”
Most Spirited and Most Dedicated – Katelyn Kleiboer
“Katelyn has been lettering as a varsity cheerleader since seventh grade, this being her fifth year of cheer and her fourth as captain,” Kleiboer said. “She works hard to learn the choreography and then teach her teammates. She pushes herself to perform at her best and puts a lot of hours into it.
“She had a scary accident at camp this past summer, falling from eight feet high and landing on the back of her neck,” Kleiboer noted. “She recovered and worked through the pain to finish the day. She goes above and beyond for her team and wants to show other student-athletes that she’s their biggest fan.”
This is Katelyn’s fifth year being nominated, and her second time making the All American Team.