RMS debuts cheerleaders

RANGELY I Rangely Junior High School debuted its new cheerleaders Jan. 29. According to activities director Mark Skelton, it has been more than 15 years since they’ve had cheerleaders for the junior high.
Sara Hooper started the squad Jan. 4. Hooper recently moved to Rangely from Amarillo, Texas, to be closer to her fiance and to live with her parents, Rus and Shelly Hooper, until the wedding. When she’s not coaching the cheerleaders, Hooper works for Heritage Lumber.
Hooper’s background in cheerleading began in middle school and continued through high school. She continued taking dance through college where she attended West Texas A&M.
“The girls have worked very hard,” Hooper said. “They practice Monday through Thursday for an hour (a day), and sometimes they even practice on Fridays. They also have to keep their grades up, just like the athletes. They will be cheering at the basketball games and wrestling matches. They also plan to perform an original cheer at the ‘Stop Bullying’ program.”
The squad started without a budget, so the school paid for their tops and skirts, and the girls had to pay for the rest of their uniforms. They plan to start fund raisers so that they have a budget for the squad in the future.