Eastern Tech Tops Among County Cheerleading Teams

There is one sports team at Eastern Tech dealing with several significant injuries right now heading into the regional playoffs. Some team members have suffered  concussions, tendinitis, broken noses and there are even those missing a few teeth.

However, these student-athletes aren't on the football team or even the soccer or volleyball team. These student-athletes are cheerleaders.

Just ask junior Alexis Thompson, who has had her nose broken twice and now wears a full facemask, or senior Sarah Wilson, who has bone spurs in her hands how demanding the sport is today.

is one of the favorites heading into the regional cheerleading meet, set for Nov. 10 at New Town High School. This comes after the Mavericks bested 19 other Baltimore County teams to win the county championship.

The victory came a year after Eastern Tech placed second in both the fall and the spring county championship competitions. The Mavericks, , also won with a very young team that includes just four seniors, along with 11 juniors, three sophomores and four freshmen.

"We've really been working on perfecting more difficult routines and that takes a lot of work and determination," Eastern Tech coach Missy Wells said. "These girls sacrifice a lot to be a part of this team."

Wells said there is much more to being a cheerleader than just memorizing some cheers and waving pom-poms. Today's cheerleaders have to be in excellent physical condition. The Mavericks practice every day during the school week. Their practice includes working on routines, running and other cardiovascular exercises.

Wells added that girls on the team are encouraged to be able to do back-handstands, which is a move she is not able to teach at school since she is not a certified tumbling instructor. Therefore, along with team practices, the girls also take tumbling classes outside of school on their own time.

Along with preparing for competitions, the cheerleading team is also at every football game in addition to many other sporting events throughout the school year.

"There is a big commitment to being a cheerleader at Eastern Tech," Wells said. "We could not have come as far as we have without the support of the parents, athletic department and principal, who treat us like any other athletics program."

The goal now, Wells said, is to capture a regional title and hopefully compete for a state championship.

Eastern Tech will be joined by several Baltimore County teams at regionals, including Hereford and , which placed second and third, respectively in the Baltimore County championships. Other area schools that advanced include Catonsville, Franklin, Dulaney and .

Members of Eastern Tech's cheerleading team said the sport is very competitive, especially in eastern Baltimore County. Most of the girls on the team have competed in the sport for years through various rec programs, including Middle River Renegades, Stembridge, Overlea-Parkville and Perry Hall.

"Winning counties was a big deal for us," said Eastern Tech senior Bryanna Ey, of Dundalk, who is dealing with tendinitis in her knee. "It felt so good to beat Kenwood."

Wilson said injuries do take their toll on cheerleading teams and that it requires a lot of conditioning to make it through a season.

"We're dealing with inuries all year," said Wilson, of Kingsville. "We probably deal with more injuries than any other sport."

Fellow cheerleader Ashley Sauerwein, also a senior, said while Eastern Tech's administration and athletics department show the team a great amonut of respect, they still feel like they have a lot to prove to the general student body.

"A lot of students don't understand what type of sacrifices you make to be a cheerleader," she said. "It's a lot of fun, but it's a lot of work."

Wells, who coached cheerleading on the rec level for years before taking over at Eastern Tech in 2010, admits she is strict with her girls and expects perfection.

But, she believes that by the time they graduate, they will be better prepared for college, whether or not they decide to cheer.

"These girls are complete athletes," Wells said. "They apply themselves with both academics and athletics and I couldn't be more proud of what they have accomplished."