Fans may have been excited about football games and tailgating leading up to last Saturday’s opener against Appalachian State, but the cheerleaders had been getting ready for football season since June.

“We practiced once a month over the summer in June and July, and in August we started practicing on the weekends, practically all day,” Chris Wilson, a sophomore in biological sciences and a new member of the team this year, said.

Practice is a time for the newcomers to learn the “traditional cheers” like the fight song, how to hold the megaphones and how to motivate the crowds.

“We practice stuff you normally don’t think about, but it’s more work than I expected,” Wilson said.

The cheerleaders practice stunts, cheers and pyramids during their practices, which they have three times a week, but they also have to do strength and conditioning workouts.

“The games are long, so the kids need to be in shape so they can cheer for at least six hours,” coach Harold Trammel said.

The men practice strength and conditioning for two and half hours per week and the ladies have conditioning programs, too.

Their hard work and practice paid off right before school started when they received the “Most Collegiate” award at a National Cheerleading Association camp in August at Myrtle Beach. The group competed against other schools from all over the country.

“All the teams and staff from Maryland, Louisville, Clemson and other schools were there competing against us,” captain Michel Hudak, a senior in criminology, said. Hudak and Wilson both said they like stunting.

“I really enjoy the stunts because I’ve never done cheering before and the movements are kind of awkward,” Wilson said.

The cheerleaders say they are a close group, calling everyone by nicknames and hanging out after practice all the time. The girls get together to work on cheers over pizza.

“We [the girls] hang out and practice so all the new girls know all the cheers and stuff,” Heather Oakley, a sophomore in animal science, said.

Mike Zeinemann, a sophomore in business management, has been cheering for two years and said he was really looking forward to the football games.

“We have the best seats in the stadium,” Zeinemann said.

Coach Harold Trammel said the squad has a “super-talented group with great attitudes,” which he says is most important.

As for game day, the cheerleaders are getting ready before the students can even start tailgating. Some cheerleaders arrive four hours and 15 minutes before the game starts to work with a physical trainer. At three hours and 15 minutes before kickoff, the cheerleaders are gathering equipment and warming up at the stadium.

“Because of the renovations at Carter-Finley we have a new room at the end of the stadium so we don’t have to carry all of our equipment back and forth,” Trammel said.

Right now the team is focusing on football season. It does not start preparing for nationals until January, but captain Jessica Brogden, a junior in social work, said she is looking forward to this season.

“The group this year has a lot of talent and potential,” Brogden said.

The new members, like Wilson, said they could not wait until the game.

“There’s a lot of planning and work that goes into it [preparing for football] and it’s neat to see all the work they do in practice,” Wilson said. “I have more respect for the team because of it.”