Cheer is a typically female-dominated sport. The stereotype of a cheerleader is a skinny girl in her short skirt and high ponytail. Freshman Jacob Wineland chose to challenge that stereotype and is the only male on Manhattan High’s cheer squad.

“I saw the forum at the middle school and it looked interesting and I wanted to try something different,” Wineland said. “I wanted to be more involved in the school.”

While getting more involved in school sports, Wineland has also gained new friendships with team members and coaches.

“The girls have treated me wonderfully; I love them all. There are some of these girls, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, that I wouldn’t have talked to had I not done cheer, but I love them all to death now. It’s hard to imagine life without some of them.”

Any sport at MHS is a large time commitment, and with the cheer squad’s busy practice and game schedule, Wineland has had to find a way to balance school and sports.

“We practice a lot throughout the week so academically it’s sometimes hard to fit homework in,” Wineland said. “I also do a lot of theater, so I’ve had to miss a lot of shows because of cheer, but cheer is my number one priority.”

From the first summer practice to the pep rallies, Wineland has seen himself improve over the season.

“My moves are definitely sharper from the beginning of the year, and I learn cheers and chants way faster. My jumps are higher too. I think I’ve improved overall as a cheerleader quite a bit.”