Just over a dozen Weber State alums watched Sept. 27 at the Weber State Fieldhouse as the reigning national championship Weber State cheerleading team practiced for the Oct. 12 homecoming game, creating towers of people three levels high, throwing members up and catching them in human “baskets,” arms clasped firmly.
The alums marveled at how far cheerleading has come since they formed the first competitive cheer team for Weber State in the 1970s.
“We had to have jumps, and the minimum for our tumbling pass was a roundoff back handspring”, said Scott Odle, captain of that first Weber State cheer team.
In honor of the 100th anniversary of football on Weber State, alums and current cheerleaders held a two-day reunion for Weber’s first ever competitive cheer squad, which formed 1976-78. A total of 15 alumni from Nebraska to California, including those from the local area, came. This was the first time in 43 years that the alumni have gotten together, and it took 18 months to organize, Odle said.
The first part of the reunion was watching the current squad as they practiced for game day. That consisted of halftime performances, timeouts and sideline stunts. Both squads were able to teach one another cheers and the Weber State Fight song.
Alumni and current members were able to get to know each other and share their experiences with one another.
“Being able to meet some of the alumni of the Weber State cheer team was a surreal experience,” said Corrine Isaac, current WSU cheerleader. “The Weber State cheer team is a very special and unique one, as no matter how much time has passed or how old you are, if you are a member of this team or were a member, you are a part of a forever family and legacy.”
Even though the alumni cheerleaders haven’t seen one another in many years, they picked up right where they left off.
“It was so cool to hear how different the experiences of their cheerleading careers were but how they were still a family just like we are still to this day,” said Tiana Jensen, current WSU cheerleader.
The final day of the reunion involved touring the Dee Events Center.
“We were the first group to cheer in the Dee Events Center,” said alumni cheerleader Laree McLean Moore. In the Hurst Center, alumni were able to reminisce about their days as WSU cheerleaders as they watched a slide show and old cheer uniforms were on display. The night concluded as they cheered loud and proud for the Weber State Wildcats.
