Tryouts for the Manhattan High cheerleading team were last Saturday with three days of preparation to learn the material before tryouts. 

“The tryout material was fast and hard,” sophomore Delanie Achilles said, “but it prepares you for the season and let’s the judges and coaches see how you do with harder material.”

There wasn’t a whole lot different this year compared to years in the past. The major difference was that tryouts were held in the North Gym instead of the gym at East Campus. 

The tryout material included jumps, cheers and tumbling that each student needed to prepare for before the actual performance.

“How I prepared for the tryouts is by going over and over the material,” Achilles said, “especially the material I struggled with. I also repeated the words out loud so they would get stuck in my head.”

The list of students who made the team was decided last Saturday. 

Achilles, along with other cheerleaders that tried out feel like cheer is a great sport all about supporting one another. 

“What I love about cheer is how we get to support the other sports and cheer them on even if their not doing so hot,” Achilles said. “If nobody is there to support them, we will always be there for them cheering them on and hoping for the best.”