Cheerleaders work hard to prepare for football season
By Charles Korns
Of ttw» Kmprald
Next to the players at a Duck hwitball
or basketball game, the hardest working
bodies there may be those of the
cheerleaders.
For the past month these zealots have
worked on their routines nine hours a
day. As soon as classes start, their prac
tice schedule reduces to five nights a
week — three-hour workouts followed
by about 40 minutes of pumping and
pushing at a fitness club.
The cheerleaders love what they do
and worked their green and yellow tails
off to get to where they are. l.ast spring's
tryouts were a three-day process in
which most candidates performed
routines about 15 times before the final
selections were made. About HO women
and 12 men tried out.
Under the direction of their advisor.
Mike Maulding, the nine women and
four men selected started practicing
right away and continued through most
of June. Practice resumed in early
August when the squad traveled to a na
tional cheerleading camp in California.
Maulding. a cheerleader himself in the
early 1970s. was part of the frenzy when
the Ducks snapped the UCLA basketball
team's home-game winning streak at 96.
Now in his sixth year as rally advisor.
Maulding also works as a teacher and
vice principal at a Springfield elemen
tary school.
Maulding said there is a "misconcep
tion” about the annual tryouts.
"People feel that old members
automatically get their spots back.and
that's wrong." he said. "Sometimes it's
more of a handicap for an old member
than for someone who never tried out
before.
“The judging panel expects a lot from
people who've worked on the squad
before. I've had a lot of people who've
been on the squad for two years, tried out
and not made it."
Maulding said he would like to see
more men trying out next spring But
guys have to realize that cheerleading is
an athletic: sport, he said.
"Any guy who’s your '100 pound
weakling' isn't going to make it. Guys
have to he coordinated, agile and
physically strong."
Tim 0'l<eary and Frank Keasoner were
good enough to make the squad for a se
cond time. Self-described as hyperac
tive. O'l-eary has a background that in
cludes distance running, karate and mar
ching band.
O'I.eary sweated through his
sophomore year as the Duck mascot.
"You lose about eight pounds a game
as the Duck. It's real hot," he said
Beginning this year, the Duck, played
by |oe Giansante. is part of the squad tie
now practices ami travels with the
cheerleaders.
O'Leary said cheerleading is athletic
and fun enough not to seem like work
He said he appreciates the benefits of
friendship and travel that come with
rally.
The squad goes (o two or three football
road games and the same nutnlier of
basketball road games
"Thu adrenaline is higher on away
trips — 40,(KM) people who don't know
you and don't like vou."O'l-eary said. A
sell-out Arizona State homecoming
crowd awaits the cheerleaders Nov. 7.
The veterans among this year's women
are Vanessa Sykes. Terrell Marshall,
Kellie Brust and Kim Kaples.
Cheerleading as a junior and senior
wasn't enough for Svkes Now she's
back as a graduate student, and
Maulding said it's the first time that ever
has happened.
The first-year women are Sara
I>eatham. Marni Beardsley. Chris Harr
ington. Kobyn Forstmm and Stephanie
Angevine. The rookies among the men
are Craig Naze and Vance Bowman
Leetham. who competed nationally for
four years in gymnastics, said
cheerleading involves the same time
commitment as her former s|>ort. hut is
more demanding at times
"I equate cheerleading to playing
three sports." she said.
As for balancing school and sport,
Uiatham said, it's takes good juggling
skills. In addition to practices, workouts
and games, the cheerleaders do a lot of
public relations work that includes
grand openings of stores, banquets and
charity telethons.
As a Duck cheerleader, Marni Beard
sley. from Corvallis, is breaking ties with
her family's staunch allegiance to OSD.
"Marni's parttnls an* big, big Beaver
people," Maulding said. "It's going to
bn nwil intereating when shr goes to Cor
vallis to cheer.”
Despite their extraordinary input of
lime and energy, tlit; rally members
receive no scholorships. tuition waivers
or 1miok money They're awarded only
three credit hours of marching band
credit.
Photo bv Shu Shinn * h#n
Tim O ’ 1. e a ry (I e ft), Vance
Bowman(center) and Terrel Marshall
lift Chris Harrington in a recent
cheerleader practice.
9
DANCE WEAR:
BARYSHNIKOV
DANSKIN
MARIKA
HANES SWEATS
342-6375
87 7 E. 13th Ave. =
|next toUofO bookstore)
Welcome to Eugene
from the store with the finest
sportswear and equipment
for ail four seasons.
BE CERTAIN TO CHECK OUR
GREAT IN-STORE SPECIALS!
UNIVOSIIY
Of ORCGON
ATHLETIC
- OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK -
ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED
94 WEST BROADWAY
DOWNTOWN MALL
EUGENE, OREGON 97401
343-1288
A