Ever dream of being tossed 10 feet in the air in front of over 100,000 spectators? Jessica Gelov has had that first hand experience for two years now. Jessica is a sophomore majoring in Communication Studies from Carmel, Indiana and a member of Michigan’s varsity cheerleading team. She started tumbling at the age of three and is finishing her eighth year of cheerleading. With three two-hour practices a week along with cheering at games, Jess still finds time for schoolwork and friends. She has just returned from her second trip to nationals in Dakota, Florida with the rest of Michigan’s Cheerleading team. I had the opportunity to sit down with Jess and get the details on what it takes to be a Michigan Cheerleader.
Did you always know that you wanted to cheer in college?
Not until high school, I didn’t really think about it until then. I didn’t take it seriously when I was younger, it was more for fun. But coming to Michigan knowing I could cheer was a big part of why I’m here. The fact that it is a good school and has a cheerleading program that is flexible was a big draw. Michigan provided me with everything; because cheerleading wasn’t going to be too time consuming (I didn’t want it to run my life), but at the same time, it’s still a very competitive program. My high school was really competitive, so working hard in high school has allowed me to cheer in college, and this is the reward of working hard.
Can you describe what it’s like to cheer in the Big House?
It’s fun and exciting. My stomach drops every time we run out of the tunnel. I always get text messages after the games from my friends and family telling me that they saw me on TV, it’s kind of surreal. My family comes to the games sometimes. My sister came to watch and now she is going to be cheering here next year.
What is the cheerleading season like? Do you just cheer at the football games?
I cheer for football and basketball and our competition season is the last thing, so it’s all year round. We get summers off, but we have to come back to school for training early. In that sense, it is a big commitment. I also take tumbling classes all summer and work out to keep in shape during the off-season.
I know you just got back from nationals in Florida, what does that entail?
We are in an intermediate division; we compete against schools like Columbia. It’s basically like a Bring it On type of competition. We do tumbling and stunting to music, and then we do a cheer portion. We start preparing in the fall, but we really take it seriously after winter break, and start focusing on it more in practices.
What do you love about cheerleading?
I love being part of a team. Its amazing cheering for Michigan football and basketball, you kind of get the perks of being on the team. I have always loved tumbling and stunting.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mich chapter.