The 2005 Buccaneer cheerleaders suffered significant losses from a year ago with Kate McCord, Crystal Diltz, and captain Hollie Hitchcock moving on to graduation.
Hitchcock won national awards over her four years of cheering and will be missed for her athleticism, leadership, and passion for the sport. Hollie embarks on the college life at The Ohio State University.
Diltz and McCord will also be missed as they have been a part of the cheering fraternity for years as well. Chrystal has been with the Buccs during her four years of high school, while Kate started as a sophomore after moving in from Hilliard Darby.
As the veterans move on, new opportunities emerge and the current roster of cheerleaders are filling the voids.
Senior, Jillian Schmidt takes over as captain. Being the lone senior, Schmidt knows the ropes and understands the program, so she will be passing her knowledge on to the rest of the squad. Schmidt is a football buff and also cheers in the winter as a basketball cheerleader.
Six juniors return to this years squad, adding to the experience of the unit for the next two years. The juniors include Meredith Tobias, Annelise Kimmel, Jesie Jennings, Erica Reck, Laynie Fulks, and Kendra Simon. Only Erica Reck wasn't with the squad a year ago, but she does have experience cheering in basketball. The rest of the junior class can be seen in the winter during basketball games as well. Also, Fulks, Simon and Tobias all participate in volleyball and Tobias and Kimmel participate in track.
Stephanie Crossman, Heather Kiesewetter, and Ashley Diltz round out the sophomore class on the squad. Both Diltz and Kiesewetter return from a year ago and cheer during basketball season, while Crossman will see her first action on Friday nights. All three girls are outstanding in track, while Kiesewetter plays volleyball and Diltz runs cross country.
The lone freshman to be selected for the squad is Meredith DeHart. She comes to the program with athleticism and ambition. DeHart also has a wrestling background as the sport has become a family tradition. It's not unusual to find her in the wrestling building mixing it up with some of the better wrestlers during practice.
Despite the losses to graduation and the new faces on this year's team, the cheerleaders will always keep things exciting on the sidelines ad the Buccs perform on the field.
