This year the Lincoln North Star cheer team is performing extensions for the first time in school history. An extension is an intermediate stunt, where the main and side base fully extend their arms while holding the flyers feet and a back base is pushing up on the flyers ankles as the flyer maintains balance and is as tight as they can be. In order to complete extensions, everyone in the stunt must utilize their individual skills and strength. “Everyone in the stunt must also be mentally and physically ready,” junior varsity coach Ashley Caudill said.

Cheerleaders have not been able to do extensions until this year, so they had to build up their endurance and learn all the necessary parts before doing this stunt. With this in mind, cheerleaders were given time in the North Star weight room, where they worked on skills that assist when performing extensions. The spirit squad first learned how to do extensions at UCA camp this summer at Northwest Missouri State University. While at camp, they did a variety of different skills with extensions.

However, falls were guaranteed with this new skill, but most of the falls were minor. One point when coming down from an extension the flyer began to fall, all the bases worked hard to catch her, but she fell to the ground. This flyer was Jenna Olson. “I was coming down and got scared; I thought we were coming all the way down but we were supposed to go down to prep, so I started to fall and I had no control,” said Olson. After falling from this stunt it was challenging to get up again. “I was able to overcome this by seeing my other teammates complete the skill and getting told that I can do it. So I changed my mindset and put all my trust into my bases and tried to stay still and focus on my part. I was still scared but this time I was able to complete this skill,” said Olson. Still then, the cheer team has been on their extension grind, performing this new found skill at this year’s Gator Fest in August. They continue to show off their extensions at practice and during many different athletic events.