Glenpool Cheer
Before the school year started, the Glenpool cheerleaders were hard at work. Ironing out a new routine, brushing up on their skills and growing as a team while building the chemistry a team needs to compete at the top of their game.
Head coach Melissa Reed is no stranger to the hard work it takes to put on a flawless routine. The work and dedication it takes to be successful is something coach Reed has embraced, and her squad is following her lead.
“We just completed our choreography routine for our team of 20. We had, what we consider, some pretty good success in the Large Co-Ed division last year, placing 4th at state, only behind 6A teams. As a smaller 5A school (most of Glenpool’s teams compete in 4A) we felt pretty good about that, so we are hoping to have the same, if not more success competitively this year,” said Reed.
One of the leaders on the team is Addie Hackler. A four-year member and someone who coach Reed calls a “strong leader,” Hackler is leading the group by example and setting a tone for the team to follow.
“She’s missed only a handful of practices over the years, and she came on as a freshman meeting expectations from the start. She is mature beyond her years and has no time for nonsense. She encourages her teammates, never complains, and is a really strong backspot,” said coach Reed.
Claire Watts is another standout in the Glenpool cheer program. With near perfect attendance in four years, Watts is setting a standard for the younger team members to follow.
“She’s one I know without a doubt will be on time, ready to go, giving 100 percent. She takes pride in her role on the team as one of our trick flyers, and she has a strong dance background which lets us add in fun choreography from time-to-time like front aerials and leaps. Claire is committed to our team and takes our guidelines seriously. She’s not one to ever skip out on conditioning, and I know I can always count on her to go above and beyond for the program. She’s choreographed dozens of routines for the Glenpool cheer community from our youth teams to countless varsity halftime performances,” said coach Reed.
There is a younger generation who will eventually take over the program. Jada Blades is a freshman this year and a self-taught tumbler, while Faith Byrom is entering her junior year and has worked hard to get to where she is today. Coach Reed said Byrom is constantly improving.
“She has beautiful tumbling and jumps and has really come into her own as a true performer. Faith loves cheering and you can tell it by watching her,” said coach Reed.
And of Blades? Coach Reed is looking for great things from the freshman.
“She’s stepped right into back spotting elite stunts and hasn’t missed a beat. She’s a pretty quiet kid, but I think we will see some really great things from her over the course of her high school career,” said coach Reed.
