The Sojourn Athlete of the Week, presented by Amplify Media, is senior Kate Smiley from the IWU Competitive Cheer program.
Smiley attended Pike High School in Indianapolis, IN, before joining IWU and the Wildcat Cheerleading program.
“Everyone that we have on the team, community-wise, I never get tired of,” Smiley said. “It’s never a dull moment with everyone.”
IWU Cheer hosted the Wildcat Invite this past weekend, with 15 other schools in attendance. The program came away with two first-place finishes on Saturday, sweeping the rest of the competition.
Smiley is a base/flyer for the program, which allowed them to score a season-best 89.98, the ninth-best score in program history.
This season has started exceptionally well for the Wildcats, as they have not had a finish outside the top three so far.
“I’m hoping that we’re going to do well in the Crossroads League Championship and then we’re going to go to Nationals to hopefully win a natty,” Smiley said. “Having fun with my teammates is what really matters to me.”
While Smiley and the rest of the Competition Cheer program are in the midst of their season, they focus on building connections and having fun along the way.
“We’re expected to do good, so we must keep that up and keep those expectations high,” Smiley said.
The Competition Cheer team will compete in the Bethel Invite in Lindsborg, Kansas on Feb. 16-17.
