BURLINGTON

The Burlington Basketball Cheerleaders Are Getting More People Involved

By Lyra Codney
     This year, the basketball cheerleaders have decided to try something new. With yell leaders and a bigger team, more opportunities have arrived. The cheerleader’s ability to interact with the crowd.
     From doing stunts near the crowd to having the crowd dunk pom poms on the cheerleaders. Also, allowing the cheerleaders to create more ideas, creates a bigger ‘hype’ for the student section, which positively affects the basketball players.
   Senior Cheerleader Lisa Summers says “It not only helps to get the crowd more involved in the game, but you can see a difference in how the teams play when everyone is cheering as well. We get them more excited and they project that into the game.”
   The student section this year has been one of the best Burlington High school has seen in a while. Giving the spirit to everyone to do amazing. The cheerleaders want to interact more, students want to participate and cheer louder than ever, and basketball players want to play harder than ever.
    When going to a basketball game this year, you can see the difference just by entering the gym. Seeing the cheerleaders and the student section working together to keep the positive energy of the game alive. With them working together it allows for better enjoyment for anyone involved.
    The idea to work with the crowd is an ingenious idea, that all seem to love. Keeping the happiness of the game and the spirit of the students alive during the hard times of the game. Cheerleaders and the student sections working together is something everyone wants to see more of and new ideas.
 

Girls Wrestling Is Kicking Butt and Dominating Once Again

By Madison Hawley
  Girls’ wrestling has come a long way in the past few years. Now, more than ever girls are joining the sport. Our LadyCat wrestlers have worked hard all season, and that has resulted in six qualifying for state. 
   The state story begins at regionals. In Kansas, there are four regionals; first through fourth place qualify for state. This creates a 16-person bracket at state in Salina, Kansas with those taking first at regionals earning top seeds. 
   This makes regionals incredibly competitive. The atmosphere is full of energy as well as some tension. Our wrestlers pulled through on top. Those who qualified for state are senior Justyce King, senior Michelle Phillips, senior Abby Crutchfield, junior Johanna Corasco, sophomore Haylei Potter, and sophomore Olivia Lyons. 
   Speaking on the mindset of state wrestling, Johanna states “It’s your last time [of the season] and you have to put it all out there.” She admits that “it’s exciting, but there’s pressure behind it [too].” Johanna is a two-time state qualifier.  
   Olivia Lyons is excited for the experience of going to state with an amazing team. She goes on, “this year’s team is so close.” First year wrestler and state qualifier Michelle Phillips expresses some regrets of not going out for the sport sooner. “I wish I would have starting wrestling years ago, because if I would have started working this hard then, imagine where I would be now,” she says.
   Each year, BHS state qualifying wrestlers are given a send off as they leave for state. The wrestlers start at the high school where they receive their state blankets. They then travel to the middle and elementary schools where they parade through the halls of younger children. Finally, they are escorted out of town and on their way to state!