Semoball

Chloe Cantrell signs with Three Rivers cheer squad

Chloe Cantrell signed to the Three Rivers cheer squad on Thursday, May 16, 2019, in Van Buren.
DAILY AMERICAN REPUBLIC/Nate Fields

VAN BUREN — Three Rivers signed its newest flyer to the cheer squad on Thursday.

Chloe Cantrell signed her letter of intent to cheer for the Lady Raiders.

“I’m really excited,” Cantrell said. “I’m kind of nervous, but I feel like being on this squad and knowing people at the college is really going to help me, and they’ve all been really welcoming.”

At first, Cantrell didn’t know if Three Rivers was going to be the right fit for her. She was initially nervous and thought it would be too stressful, so she decided not to try out.

After talking with Van Buren coach Sherry Snider, they talked to Three Rivers coach Kayla Sparkman and Cantrell was given another chance to try out.

When she first got to the March clinic, Cantrell was intimidated by all of the people she saw, but her love for cheering kept her going.

“She gave me a second chance, and I’m really thankful for that because I feel like it’s going to be a really good opportunity,” Cantrell said. “... I guess I thought that this is something I love to do and I want to keep doing it as long as I can.”

When she’s not cheering, Cantrell stuck out to Sparkman as a great problem solver. She doesn’t let issues arise on the team and she tries to hold everything together.

“It shows that she’s going to be a good team player and put others first besides herself, and that’s always a very, very good thing,” Sparkman said. “She’s a really great athlete and she’s also academically strong. She’s going to be a very strong flyer for us next year.”

Cantrell was a captain on Van Buren’s cheer squad for two years.

“She’s been a real big part of Bulldog basketball cheer,” Snider said. “She’s been a captain for me her junior and senior years. She holds herself to high standards, and those around her, but she’s not afraid to be a team player either. That’s a big deal for her.

“Anything she asked her teammates to do, she led by example. She’s great.”

Sometimes, Cantrell is afraid of failing when she tries something new. That doesn’t stop her from going through with it, though. All throughout high school, she said she could never complete a liberty. During the March clinics, she finally pulled it off after continuing to work on it.

“It’s very hard for me to try anything new at first because I’m afraid of failing,” Cantrell said. “But when I do try it and get it, it really, really boosts my confidence and makes me feel like I can do more than I thought I could before.”

Academically, Cantrell plans to study psychology.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: