The Amherst cheer team has at least 21 athletes, but only one stands out as the oldest returning “veteran.” Coaches Brooke Zietlow, Kim Zietlow, and Kimberly Pingel have known this athlete since she was young and are continuing to coach and cheer with her. 

Siri Anderson, junior, claims she joined the Amherst cheer team back in 7th when she was 13 years old. This means she has been in cheer for 4 years. “I really enjoy dancing and cheer allowed me to improve my dance skills. Also, I loved the opportunity to learn how to stunt. Even more, the team dynamic is awesome. We get so close and bond so quickly in such a short season,” Anderson claims.

Siri states that her biggest supporter throughout the years has been her family, but most importantly, her sister. Siri would like to say to future cheerleaders: “The first year is hard because you’re just getting to learn all the cheers but once you’ve got them down it gets so much easier. As long as you keep practicing and working really hard your future cheerleading days will be easy. Also, keeping a positive attitude will get you really far.”

Cheerleading with Siri has probably been one of the greatest experiences in my life. I love how positive and outgoing she can be. Even when she gets injured, she still puts on a smile and continues practicing. More people should be like Siri, being able to fight through pain while keeping a smile on her face and staying positive!