Cheerleader Named Oswego East Co-Student Athlete of the Week

With the help of exposure through television and media, better coaching, and athletes who train all year round, the sport of cheerleading has grown by leaps and bounds over the past 15 years. Athletes are attempting more difficult stunts, they are judged more harshly during their programs, and the demands of practice have multiplied exponentially. Junior Hannah Andrews is hoping the hard work she and her teammates are putting in will one day lead to a state championship, which is one of the reasons why she is this week’s Oswego East co-student athlete of the week.

After cheering competitively for 4 years, and recreationally for another 3, Hannah has developed a strong passion for the sport. Hannah, as described by her parents Nic and Sarah, has a “tenacious passion for excellence, a consistently positive attitude and a kind heart.” All of these traits help explain how she earned the role of captain, after being voted on by her teammates. Her growth as a leader has coincided with the maturation process Hannah experienced during her 3 years at East, and not just as a cheerleader, but as a person as well. Head coach Tiffany Scholle has “seen her develop into a leader and manage to balance her dedication to this sport (which is grueling in schedule and its physical demands) with her commitment to academic success, family life, social engagements, along with giving back to the community and the cheer program itself.”

Hannah serves various roles on the cheerleading team, contributing on stunts and being a major tumbler for the team. Scholle describes Hannah as “one of the higher tumbling passes on the team but also has fantastic jumps with great form and technique as well as great stunting ability in multiple positions within a stunt group.” Not only does Hannah excel at her individual technique, but also leads and excels at things not as tangible to the masses, which Scholle describes as “staying sharp, precise, and performing to the audience all the time.”

This past weekend the cheer team competed in the sectional portion of the state tournament, in what was arguably the toughest sectional in the state. Although they competed well, the team had an overall score of 85.57, a score which would have placed them in the top 5 in 3 of the 5 sectionals in the state, but saw them place 8th and miss going to state by 2.4 points. Although they fell short of their ultimate goal of going to state, the cheer team continues to find ways to improve, and with Hannah being only a junior, the team should only continue to improve.

Hannah’s success does not end with the cheer mat, however. She currently ranks 36th out of 559 students in the junior class (top 7%), has a 4.147 G.P.A., and takes 2 advanced placement (AP) courses (chemistry and comparative government and politics). Science is where Hannah really sets her goals, with a future set on chemical engineering. Her AP Chemistry teacher, Ms. Cari Carlton, foresees Hannah having great success in the field, describing her as having the “critical thinking skills and problem solving abilities to excel in this field. She also has a genuine curiosity and enthusiasm for chemistry.” Hannah has her future set on attending either Northwestern University or University of Illinois, and plans to compete on the cheer team in college as well.

Despite a massive workload of school and cheer obligations, this bright and energetic junior seems to take it all in stride, and has enjoyed her time at East very much so far. With 3 semesters left, Hannah has an opportunity to add to her legacy, which is something the community and school are thankful for. For those planning to attend OE in the future, Hannah advises them to “focus on being in the moment, because it goes by fast,” as well as to “make sure [they] give it everything [they] have.” If future wolves want to see a leader who does both, they need not look no further than Hannah.