By Derrick Smith

April Polk is beginning her twelfth season as the head coach of the Jenks High School cheer team. As they enter this season, she says while her team may have a lower number of upperclassmen, she still expects them to have a solid year. 

“This team is a young team,” Polk said. “We lost sixteen seniors to graduation last year, so that would be tough on any team. But this group is eager to learn and they have a strong work ethic. Those two things combined make this a very coachable team that will learn quickly and should have a lot of success.”

Success is something that Polk’s past teams were not strangers to. They were 2019 OSSAA Competitive Cheer State Champions, 2020 OSSAA Competitive Cheer State Runner-Up, 2020 OSSAA Game Day State Runner Up, 2021 Stunt Champions.

Senior captains Cassidy Blackshare and Rachel Fonseca both agree that they enjoy spreading school spirit around town. 

“My favorite part of being a cheerleader is getting to be spirit leaders for our community,” Blackshare said. “I enjoy being an example for the younger generation that hopes to follow in our footsteps,” Fonseca added.

While the team enjoys cheering together, they also enjoy bonding on team trips.
“Every year, we travel to Dallas to compete in the NCA High School Nationals,” Polk said. “We always have a great trip, no matter how we finish. These girls always have a great time together.”

Simone Bates, another senior captain on the team, says she likes how her team works together so well, both during and away from competitions. 

“I really enjoy interacting with my teammates,” she said. “I am a social person so that is one of my favorite parts. Also, I love all the different personalities that come together. I really like being around this group every day.”