PEA RIDGE — Pea Ridge High School senior Dalton Fralin worked for three days through 12-hour practices to earn one of 12 spots on the University of Arkansas’ cheerleading squad.
Fralin had his first college cheering experience at the annual Red/White game, a scrimmage of the university’s 2010-2011 season’s football team.
The school will deliberate throughout the fall semester whether to offer scholarships to the freshmen cheer members, based on both ability and academics.
Fralin plans to study Industrial Engineering at the U of A.
“This was my fifth year of cheering, there’s no easy part. I guess the most difficult thing is how much time it takes,” Fralin said, adding he doesn’t expect time spent cheering to interfere with his studies.
The freshmen squad, named the White Squad, cheers at women’s basketball games, gymnastics and home football games. Fralin is most excited about football season. Once he has proven his abilities after his freshmen year, he can be placed on the Red Squad and cheer at men’sbasketball games and travel to away football games.
“I plan on continuing all through college,” he said.
“I’m super proud of him,” Courtney Hurst, Pea Ridge High School cheerleading coach, said. “This will be a life-changing experience no doubt, he’s worked really hard. It’s very rewarding to see him get to go on and get a good education.”
Hurst will accompany Fralin as he cheers at the upcoming All-star basketball and football games held at the University of Arkansas June 24 and 25, respectively. Hurst will be one of three assistant cheerleading coaches chosen to direct the all-star cheer team.
The three coaches, plus the selected head coach from Benton, will lead the team made up of 24 high school cheerleaders from the west side of the state of Arkansas. The four coaches met in Little Rock to put together a list of the best cheerleaders in Arkansas.
Although the west and east sides of the state will have two squads cheering for two teams, both squads will perform together in a half-time show.
Sports, Pages 10 on 05/12/2010