The Hardin-Simmons cheerleading team is a Christ-driven program that focuses on promoting school spirit and community involvement.
The HSU Cheer Team is led by former assistant coach Tiffany McMurray. The squad's co-captains are Peyton Eanes, senior exercise science major from Santa Fe, and Emma Colna, junior biology major from Charleston, S.C.
The team practices three times a week. On Monday and Tuesday mornings practice is held at the Mabee Athletic Complex and on Shelton Stadium Field. The team begins and concludes each practice with “prayers and praises.” This tradition allows the team to support each other and grow in their walks with Christ.
During practice, the cheerleaders work on perfecting their game-day routines, stunting, jumping, tumbling and pyramids. On Wednesday evenings, practice is devoted to new tumbling skills at the Abilene Gymnastics Sport Center.
Traditionally, the team selects a Bible verse to spiritually guide them each year. This year's verse comes from II Corinthians 12:9, which reads, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
The cheerleaders cheer for the HSU Cowboy Football Team on Saturday afternoons. They focus on crowd-leading and engagement through the use of cheers, chants and dances. Cheer performs at tailgates in front of the Newman Richardson Science Center prior to each home game.
In the spring, the squad cheers on HSU’s men’s and women's basketball teams. They lead the crowd during games and perform routines during timeouts and halftimes.
Cheer is service-oriented. Their ministry opportunity this semester was Houses for Healing. On Sept. 21, some team members met to help this worthy Abilene nonprofit organization.
The cheer team seeks to spread their spirit throughout Abilene. The team attended the Wylie Youth Cheerleading practice on Sept. 19 where they taught the young girls a cheer and chant and provided helpful critiques on their existing skills.
If you would like to get involved in HSU Cheer, they will be hosting tryouts this spring. Their cheer clinic dates are posted on Instagram @hsutxcheer. The cheer team is always looking for new members who can help continue this fine HSU tradition.
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