By Derrick Smith
Dana Selzer is in her tenth season of being the cheer coach at Thomas Fay Custer schools. Over that time, she has had a number of cheerleading teams come through her door and she says that each group has its own talents that they are good at. And the same goes for this year’s squad.
“Each squad exhibits it’s own strengths and learns to compensate for its weaknesses,” she said. “This year I have been blessed by a squad with a tremendous work ethic. I love watching them overcome obstacles individually and as a squad. The camaraderie that has developed between the members of the squad this year has been a joy to watch and makes my job as a coach much easier.”
Head cheerleader for football, Jerneigh Roberts’ favorite part about cheering is rooting her school.
“I enjoy being our team’s biggest fans,” she said. “Even when the crowd is unhappy, we are cheering the Terriers on and keeping things positive. I also love the fact that though we are not a competition team, we still push each other to do new and hard things. I appreciate that every practice we take the opportunity to become better as a squad.”
Bonding and having fun together is something that has helped the team grow closer and better.
“During the summer, our squad attends two different camps,” Dana said. “The first one is done by the NCA and I do the second one. We also enjoy movie parties, bowling, Christmas caroling, and pool parties.”
Mariah Petty is a senior and the head cheerleader for basketball and enjoys being able to make an impact on the younger girls.
“I enjoy watching all the little girls cheer along with us,” she said. “They always get the biggest smile when they see us. I also love supporting Terrier sports.”
Carrington Kohout, a senior cheerleader says continuing the history of Thomas school spirit.
“The terrier tradition is one of a kind,” she said. “I enjoy getting to lead the fans and students by cheering. I also enjoy the camaraderie I have with my teammates and the bond we have formed.”
