The Brunswick High School (BHS) cheerleading team is more than just smiles and poms but is also a team built on discipline, teamwork, determination and dedication. Although the team is just typically seen on the sidelines at basketball, football games or on the competition mat, the team puts in end hours behind closed doors.
Team
The cheerleading team has two seasons to be involved in unlike many sports teams. During the fall season the organization held both a junior varsity and varsity team for the first time in numerous years. The fall team consisted of 22 girls which includes the four seniors: Ariana Jackson, Khloe Lynch, Marilee Smith and Isabella Zimmerman. Both junior varsity and varsity teams were led by coaches Jessie Duvall and Kimber Shank.
During the winter season the team had one varsity team consisting of twenty girls including the three seniors: Ariana Jackson, Khloe Lynch and Marilee Smith. This team was led by head coach Jessie Duvall.
Dynamic
During a sport such as cheerleading a good team dynamic is extremely important. Cheerleading has to be able to bond and trust their teammates to do their job in order to be able to do their own and hit the needed skills.
Senior, Khloe Lynch a four year varsity cheerleader at BHS shares about her focus on the team.
“The dynamic of the team is so important when stunting and performing the more you trust your teammates the easier it is for me when it comes to stunting I trust the people under me so much it helps me do my part because I know they will always be there for me,” Lynch said.
Competition
Competition is a huge part of cheerleading while the cheerleaders work on stunts for football and basketball games but really competition is the real goal to work towards. During fall and winter the cheerleading team both competed at the Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) cheerleading competition. During the fall season the team scored a 97.4. The winter cheerleading team scored a 93.35. They also advanced to the regional competition scoring a 92.85 while placing 10th in the 1A school in the state of Maryland.
Coaching
The current winter cheerleading squad is led by head coach Jessie Duvall who has been with the program for 8 years. Coach Duvall spends endless hours throughout her week dedicated to the cheer team. Including outside of cheerleading practice & games she spends time looking for new skills for the cheer team to acquire and helping the squad get better as a whole. Duvall also makes sure her athletes stay safe and healthy at all times inside and outside of cheer.
“Safety is always my top priority. I am always sure that I am planning intentional progression and prioritizing fundamentals. I’d rather slow down skill progression than compromise safety,” Duvall said.
Sophomore, varsity cheerleader Autumn Curry agrees with other individuals on the cheerleading team that coach Duvall has really helped them grow as not only a cheerleader but also a person.
“My coach has made a very large impact on my life since my freshman year when my freshman year was the hardest time for me. She was there with me when others couldn’t. […] I needed someone to push me and help me get through one of the toughest things a teenage girl could go through losing their mom.[…] I don’t have my mom to look up to know but now my coach is someone I can look up to,” Curry said.
Senior Spotlights
The Brunswick winter cheer team currently holds three lovely seniors which being Ariana Jackson, Khloe Lynch and lastly Marilee Smith. Each one of these girls has been a part of the BHS Varsity cheerleading team for the entirety of their high school career.
Jackson is a strong base on the BHS cheer team who has brought passion and smiles to the cheer team for the last three years. Not only is Jackson an incredible cheerleader she has participated in activities such as softball during the spring, along with being involved in numerous clubs such soccer club, bible club, national art honor society and Fellowship of Christian Athletes which she’s a part of leadership as well.
Lynch a hardworking flyer has been a strong asset of the team for the last four years always showing up and willing to put in work & try new things while always being in support of her teammates. Lynch has also participated in BHS softball and outside of BHS was apart of the Divine Athletics Allstar Cheerleading program.
Smith is the last senior apart of the cheerleading squad, a determined flyer and dependable tumbler for BHS. Along with the cheerleading squad Smith is a part of the FFA organization, plays on the BHS lacrosse and a part of the Roaderette Pom squad beside Lynch she was apart of the Divine Athletics Allstar Cheerleading program.
Both Smith and Lynch cheerleading career wont end in high school. Both flyers will be a part of the Mount Saint Mary’s University cheerleading squad. While Jackson will be attending Penn State Brandywine while majoring in communications with a minor in art.