Lauren McKenzie - Cheerleading

Lauren McKenzie is from West Linn, Oregon. She is an Advertising/PR major,  Graphic Design Major, and a Biblical Studies Minor. Though she has a busy academic schedule, she still makes time for cheerleading. Lauren has been cheering for three years now.

Here is what Lauren says about her year cheering, "I had always been interested in Cheering when I was a kittle girl, but I was so involved in other sports when I was younger I never really got to try Cheer out until I was in college.  Spring of my freshman year a good friend of mine encouraged me to try out with her on a whim.  I never dreamed that I

would make the team, but it turns out they saw a lot of potential in me, and thought that with a lot of training I could really contribute to the team.  I guess my height gave me a bit of an advantage, because it's hard to find girls who are taller to fill in in spots that require height.  I don't think anyone thought I would actually be good enough to compete on the nationals mat, but that next year I made it on the mat, and from that moment on I was hooked on the adrenaline rush of competitive stunting.  I became really committed to the sport and my team, and was honored when our coaches chose me as one of the Captains this last year."

The Evangel Cheer Team, of which Lauren is on, competes at UCA nationals every year in Orlando, FL. This year the Evangel team made 5th in the nation! The Cheer Team also competes at the Heart of America Athletic Conference. In Lauren's first competing year at the Heart of America Athletic Conference they won the conference title, and dethroned Lindenwood who had won the last eight years in a row!

In Lauren's own words, "Growing up I did every sport imaginable.  Soccer, volleyball, softball, basketball, ice skating, and tennis.  I think all of these sports helped develop my hand-eye coordination and physical strength which helped me pick stunting up quickly when I made the team."

Lauren's favorite memory of cheering is when Evangel won the conference. She said it was an indescribable feeling when they won! Everyone was screaming, crying, hugging, and jumping when they found out they had won.

By: Bethany Whitlock