Athlete of the Week: Jules Lusk
Jules Lusk says cheerleading is definitely a sport.
Bellwood-Antis cheerleaders normally get the short end of the stick.
Jules Lusk helps hold the sign for the Blue Devils before a big game!
Spending roughly 11 months cheering for football, basketball, and wrestling the season tends to be pretty long.
At the beginning of the year you can see the cheerleaders and watch them cheer and do a dance at Meet the Devils.
The cheerleaders are at every home and away football game and sometimes they make special appearances at the away basketball games.
One of the girls working the sidelines the whole school year is Jules Lusk, who has been cheering the teams on since eighth grade and is anticipating her upcoming senior year.
For her efforts Lusk is athlete of the week.
How did you get involved with BA cheerleading?
Jules: When I transferred to Bellwood my 8 grade year. I was touring the school and I saw the girls at cheer camp, I talked to the coach, and tried out the next day.
The BluePrint: How do you like cheering for the BAHS sports?
Jules:I love cheering for BAHS sports. We always have good time at the games. Personally football season is my favorite.
The BluePrint: What’s your favorite cheer?
Jules: My favorite cheer is when we spell out devils using our pom-poms.
The BluePrint: What’s your favorite apart about cheering?
Jules: Being able to build and tumble.
The BluePrint: What’s your best accomplishment while cheering here at BAHS?
Jules: I made the All-American team and I was invited to cheer at the bowl game over new years the past three years, but I didn’t attend.
The BluePrint: You’ll be a senior next year, do you plan on being captain?
Jules: I plan to apply for the position and I’ d love the experience of being a captain.
Cheering is a combination of smaller parts of other sports such as dancing and the tumbling part of gymnastics.
— Jules Lusk
The BluePrint: Do you have any advice for anyone who wants to cheer?
Jules: The season is always a great one if everyone keeps a positive attitude. Also next year will be an outstanding season so make sure you sign up!
The BluePrint: What other activities do you do outside of BA?
Jules: I dance at Simply Dance and take part in a tumbling class. I did gymnastics for a little while at Gemini, but I never competed before the gym closed.
The BluePrint: How do you defend that cheerleading is a sport?
Jules: Cheering is a combination of smaller parts of other sports such as dancing and the tumbling part of gymnastics. With the addition of lifting and throwing people into the air. I fully understand why people view competitive cheer and school cheer differently. They are alike, but different. You can expect to see the BAHS cheerleaders competing in the next few years.
