Issue date: 7/18/06 Section: News

Media Credit: Jay Grabiec High school girls from around the state come to Eastern this week for the Eastern Illinois NCA II cheerleading camp.

High school girls from around the state come to Eastern this week for the Eastern Illinois NCA II cheerleading camp.

From July 17-20, high school junior and senior varsity cheerleaders from six schools in Illinois gather to improve leadership skills as well as new material, cheers, chants and, of course, stunts.

Hollian Montgomery, a NCA camp staff member, has been working the camp the longest, a total of four years. She says the camp is a good way for the girls to "improve on what they want to improve on."

Ryan Brooks, camp manager and athletic trainer, says the 66 girls who attend spend most of the day practicing and exercising. It is only a four-day camp so they need to get as much accomplished as possible. On the last day the girls have a performance for their parents on what they have learned so far.

Montgomery said the one thing the girls look forward to the most is the stunts.

"The most dangerous stunt we teach here is the pizza man," said Montgomery. "It is where you do a flat back, half turn so the girl on top lands in the opposite direction laying back on the hands holding her up. It is like a toss and flip. It's the most dangerous because it is the least stable."

Many of the girls who came to the camp have different reasons for coming.

Chelsea Hess, 17, of Neoga, said the reason she wanted to come to camp was because it was "a good time to improve as a team, not just as an individual."

Whereas Chelsea Evans, 17, of Neoga, came to camp "to learn different things and learn how to improve" on her cheerleading skills.

Some of the girls say they became cheerleaders to stay physically fit or meet new people at the high school games. However, Melissa Lynn, of Effingham, became a cheerleader for a different reason.

"I became a cheerleader because whenever I was younger I use to watch the older cheerleaders in high school," said Lynn. "They are an inspiration to me and I always thought I wanted to be one."

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