Having gotten into competitive cheer at an early age has helped Silo senior Hailey Weaver become a top-notch cheer leader for the Rebels and soon she’ll be trying to extend that cheer excellence to the college level.
“I’ve had Hailey in cheer since seventh grade,” said her coach Mishael Metheny who is her seventh year of coaching at Silo after being cheer coach at Southeastern State for 10 years. “She doesn’t need me to tell her what to do because she can do it all on her own. She’s an excellent stunter and tumbler and her competitive cheer background has given her a good knowledge base for trying new things.”
Hailey, who made All American last year and All-Region this year, grew up watching her sister cheer and says stunting and tumbling are her favorite parts of cheer. Her years in competitive cheer have taught her some valuable lessons.
“Competitive cheer taught me to push through all the obstacles to make a routine or stunt hit and how you have to have good teamwork to win.”
Sometimes people just see the cheerleaders at a game and wonder if it should be considered a sport. But Hailey had a definitive answer.
“Cheer, particularly competitive cheer, is absolutely a sport. You push all of your limits for that two minutes and thirty seconds on the mat. You stunt, you tumble, you throw people in the air. I feel that’s as athletic as any other sport. Even in school cheer when you’re in like a Game Day competition that’s a sport too.”
!– /22198608069/body –>The highlight of Hailey’s cheer career came last year in her final year of competitive cheer.
“We hit our whole routine without any deductions and won a Redline competition in Texas.”
In addition to cheer, Hailey is also on the track team where she throws the discus.
“I just missed qualifying for state last year so getting there this spring is one of my big goals,” said Weaver who is also in National Honor Society, Beta Club where she served as president last year, and FCA. In her spare time, she practices cheer, works out and likes to watch Netflix.
Hailey is already focused on the next chapter in her life. She plans on attending Northeastern State and next month will attend tryouts in hopes of cheering for the RiverHawks next year. She plans to study kinesiology and become an athletic trainer.
