WHS graduate Lexie Bieber realizing her cheerleading dream at UNI

For her entire high school career, 2014 Waukon High School graduate Lexie Bieber kept the spirit alive and well for Waukon Indian athletics and other events as an award-winning high school cheerleader. Now in her third year of college, it is Bieber’s own spirit and drive that has helped her realize one of her life’s dreams of becoming a college cheerleader at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) in Cedar Falls.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and it’s definitely worthwhile,” the daughter of Ed and Amy Bieber of Waukon said of making this year’s UNI Cheer Squad. “I like every single aspect of cheerleading; the excitement, the involvement, the challenge of it.”

Having cheered to a variety of high school recognition as a member of the National Cheer Association (NCA) All-American Cheer Team and the Iowa Cheerleading Coaches Association (ICCA) All-Star Cheer Squad, among other honors, Bieber faced her greatest challenge presented by the activity she loves when she was not selected to be a member of the UNI Cheer Squad after her initial try-out late in her freshman year at UNI, realizing that all she had accomplished in high school still wasn’t quite enough to take her to that next level she desired.

“I didn’t have the tumbling skills I needed to make it at UNI; tumbling is something we never really did in high school, so that was a big part of what I was missing,” Bieber explained.

NEVER GIVING UP
True to the award-winning spirit that propelled her to a decorated high school cheering career, Bieber set herself to the task of achieving the one cheerleading accomplishment she had been denied. “I worked really hard on my tumbling skills for that next year, starting with learning the very basics and working my way up to where I felt I needed to be to make the team,” Bieber said.

That hard work and perseverance paid off considerably, as Bieber had her dream become a reality about a year ago when it was announced she had made it all the way through the final cut  for the UNI program. Bieber says that initially there were 70 cheerleaders who tried out for the UNI squad in April of last year. That number was whittled to just 32 squad members through a series of three cuts during the try-out process, her name remaining on the squad list through all three of those cuts.

From those 32 who make the final cut, two teams are then made, including an all-girl squad and a co-ed squad. Bieber is honored to be a part of that co-ed squad but also serves as a fill-in for the all-girl squad, if needed.

Within Bieber’s co-ed squad, she’s paired up with one of the male team members who does throws, stands and other stunts with her. The squad performs mainly at home events for the UNI Panther football, volleyball, wrestling, and men’s and women’s basketball teams, but also makes trips to competitions for those teams held elsewhere within the state of Iowa, such as the football game at Iowa State University.

The squad also travels to postseason and other major events for each team it cheers for, some of those being listed by Bieber as her highlights at this next level of cheerleading. “The funnest thing I’ve gotten to do is cheer at the NCAA Volleyball Tournament at KU (Kansas University) in Lawrence, KS, that was a lot of fun,” Bieber shared. “I also got to cheer at the Big Four Classic (the annual men’s basketball challenge featuring Iowa, Iowa State, UNI and Drake). The best part about that was that only eight of our 32 squad members got to go and our coach picked who got to make that trip based on grades and skills, so it meant a lot to be chosen for that.”

Even though she’s moved on to the college level, Bieber also gets the unique experience of still cheering for a fellow high school classmate. Just like their high school days, fellow 2014 Waukon High School graduate Marcus Weymiller is suited up for the same team Bieber cheers for once again - the two now donning the Purple and Gold of UNI.

PAYING THE PRICE
Although by far the greatest, not making that first-year cut wasn’t the only challenge cheerleading has presented for Bieber. Much like the athletes she cheers for, Bieber has also had to deal with injury. “I have a torn labrum in my shoulder from high school,” she explained. “And I sprained my MCL tumbling at Homecoming.”

Adding to Bieber’s hurdles to clear is the fact that the UNI Cheer Squad is not funded by the university, so squad members have to pay for everything they are involved with in the cheering realm. “I’ve had to pay for everything out of my own pocket,” Bieber explained, providing further proof of her obvious love for cheerleading.

As one might expect at this higher level of cheerleading, Bieber notes considerable differences between her high school participation and what this past year has been like for her. “We do a lot more weight lifting, and we have a trainer that we work with,” she explained. “There are more skills required; like I said, there’s a lot more tumbling involved and our stunt levels are higher.”

Bieber says a typical week at this next level of cheerleading involves two to three events to cheer for, but, much like the athletes she provides that Panther Pride for, she and her fellow squad members also put in the hard work at practice to make their event performances the best they can be, with Tuesdays and Thursdays typically being the busiest days. Most days begin with a morning weight lifting session before classes begin for the day. An evening practice session typically lasts from 6-9 p.m., with the final hour of that session devoted to more weight lifting.

MORE THAN JUST CHEERING
In addition to the cheer events and preparation, members of the UNI Cheer Squad are also required to conduct 30 hours of volunteer work each semester, helping out the community in any number of ways. Bieber says she has performed a lot of her volunteer hours with the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department in the numerous fundraising and other community events that department conducts throughout the year.

Despite making the squad this year, Bieber says there are no guarantees for any squad member that they will continue to hold a spot on the team from year to year. “We have to try out every year in order to make the squad for the following year, there are no guarantees,” she explained. “My roommate was on the squad last year, but didn’t make it this year, so you just never know. You’ve got to keeping working at it.”

WHERE SHE’S ALWAYS WANTED TO BE; WHERE SHE WANTS TO GO FROM HERE
Even though she likely could have cheered at other colleges without such rigorous try-out or program regimes, Bieber says that the University of Northern Iowa has always been her choice to continue her education after high school. The school’s teaching program was the first and foremost priority in pursuing her career choice in education.

“I’ve always wanted to go to UNI, that’s the only college that I ever really looked at,” Bieber said. “I want to be a teacher, and UNI is a great teaching college, so I was drawn to it right away. And I had been down there for All-Star cheerleading events and for State Football, so I was very familiar with it already, and it just felt right.”

Ultimately, Bieber would love nothing more than to return to her hometown and high school alma mater to teach and take over her mother’s position as cheerleading coach. “I would love to continue to grow the program and be able to have the team compete in more divisions,” she said. “My mom has done so much for the program, and I’d like to take what I’ve learned from my college experience and keep building on that success.”

Bieber gives credit to her mother, Amy, for spurring her love of cheerleading, and also knows that the support she’s received from family and friends has helped her to realize her college cheerleading dream. “I don’t know where I’d be without the support of my family and friends,” she said. “I can never thank them enough for keeping me going and supporting me through all of this, especially when I didn’t make that first cut. I wouldn’t be where I am without them.”

No matter what the future may hold, either in making next year’s squad or finding her way back to continue building the high school program she was once an integral part of, Bieber will never forget her “next level” experiences from this current season and the joy she finds in being a cheerleader.

“For me, it’s the thrill of what you bring to other people as a cheerleader,” Bieber said. “The teams really appreciate you being there and supporting them, and the fans can be really great. I love when you get to interact with the kids, like at halftime. They’re so happy and excited to see you, and you can really make their day just by talking with them or giving them a wave. That’s really rewarding for me.”

Whether it be pursuit of her own goals, or advice she would share with others who want to cheer, work, play or perform at a higher level, Bieber would offer the same words of wisdom that have lifted her to that next level of the cheerleading realm at UNI.

“Never give up on your dreams,” she said. “Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you aren’t good enough.”