The Pershing County High School Spirit Squad cheers for the Mustangs basketball team. Jerzey Jones, Jena Pilon, Emma Blondheim, Sugeily Valtierra, Mily Gonzalez, and Alejandra Pineda. Not shown: Miya Gallagher.
Football and basketball seasons wouldn’t be the same without the Pershing County High School cheerleaders.
They add spark to the games and help motivate the players to give their all.
This basketball season, two seniors, two sophomores and three freshmen inspire the athletes and crowds. Miya Gallagher (capt.) and Jena Pilon both graduate this spring.
Sugeily Valtierra and Emma Blondheim are sophomores. The freshmen are Jerzey Jones, Mily Gonzalez and Alejandra Pineda.
Miya Gallagher
“I have a lot of new girls and some who have never cheered before. They have been working hard learning and perfecting the movements,” said Cece Thornhill, now completing her seventh year as coach. Before that, she coached youth cheerleading for eight years.
Team captain Miya Gallagher says she’s been cheering as long as she can remember. She also just completed her senior year of soccer and looks forward to softball in the spring.
“I like being part of the spirit squad because it’s fun to make the crowd cheer loudly for our teams on game days,” she said.
As team captain, Miya has added duties.
“I make sure we are stretched and ready for practice every day. I also make sure the girls are getting cheers down and that the girls who’ve never cheered before are learning correctly,” she says.
Gallagher’s fellow senior, Jena Pilon, was one of Cece Hanley’s youth cheerleaders.
She has cheered all four years of football season. This is her first year cheering for the basketball teams.
“Jena loves cheer and it’s the only sport she’s ever done,” says Thornhill.
The spirit squad is cheering for one of their own squad members this basketball season. Senior Kaylah Hanley,
Thornhill’s daughter, put down her pom poms to play with the Lady Mustangs. She will also play softball this spring.
“This year is a little hard for me with it being Kaylah’s senior year,” said Thornhill.
However, watching the girls cheer lifts her spirits and fills her with pride.
“I couldn’t be more proud of these young ladies,” she said. “They go out and have fun and cheer their hearts out.”