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Away games fun, but require more prep from MU cheerleaders
Marshall cheerleaders stand arm-in-arm as they sing the school's alma mater prior to the Herd's game against Illinois State on Saturday, August 30, 2008, at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
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HUNTINGTON -- Marshall University's cheerleaders love the roar of a home crowd, but they also enjoy the road trips.
It's a chance to see different college campuses and cheer on the Herd in many different football venues. But NCAA travel requirements limit the number of cheerleaders that can fly with the team. Which means for today's game at Wisconsin, only one coach, Marco and 12 cheerleaders made the trip.
And for a squad that totals 25, that also means condensing and revising routines.
"We have to take all our material for our home game and make it work for 12," said assistant cheerleading coach Duane Nutt. "And it's never the same 12."
Senior Lindsay Pierce said the toughest part is adjusting to new partners for aerial stunts.
"Away games, you might not have the same male partner," she said.
And Pierce wants to be as safe as possible. She fell twice last year, resulting in two concussions. One more, she said, and her cheerleading career is over.
"The biggest thing is maintaining safety because the cheering partners can change from week in to week out," Nutt said.
Besides adjustments to the routine, Nutt said they have to work out the travel details with professors and the athletic staff. Nutt and head cheerleading coach Donna Dunn also have to determine who is going on the trips. Part of the decisions are made by seniority and some by requests. But they try to make sure every member of the squad gets to go to at least one away game.
"Everyone has to be able to do everything," Dunn said, referring to being successful each week.
Sophomore Jessie Herman is in Wisconsin today for her first away game. She said Thursday night that she was still feeling the emotional high from the home opener last weekend, which was her first game as a cheerleader.
"I felt really excited and nervous," Herman said. "I had worries of messing up in front of all those people."
In two weeks, when Marshall hits the road again, Herman will likely be left behind. But she won't be taking the weekend off. The cheerleading team also cheers at the home volleyball games, home basketball games for both the men and women's teams, two basketball tournaments and any bowl games.
Basketball doesn't start for another couple of months, but volleyball season is in full swing.
"The ones not going on the football trips are still cheering," Dunn said. "They are full-time athletes. They have no off-season."
