With the help of some early preparation, the Baker University cheerleading squad will look to rebound from the loss of captains Brittany Lob and Jeremy Webb for the spring semester.
Both Lob and Webb will be leaving to study abroad at Harlaxton College, which leaves the squad with one remaining captain, senior Allyssa King. Head coach Cathy Ritter said the squad will lose good qualities from the two.
“It’s going to be hard to lose their leadership,” Ritter said. “They are great leaders and are much respected by the squad.”
Ritter said besides the loss of leadership, the squad will also miss the positive attitudes, friendship and talent from Lob and Webb.
However, rebounding from the loss will be easier due to early preparations the squad has already begun. King said the squad started learning its routine for the Heart of America Athletic Conference competition about a month ago with the help of Lob and Webb.
“Jeremy and Brittany learned the routine with us so we had more people who understood what was to be expected,” King said. “Now they watch us and provide feedback, critique us and answer any questions about the routine.”
King said the feedback from Lob and Webb has helped the squad improve its routine.
More early preparation included the addition of new members before practices for the routine began.
“We started learning the routine at the end of October,” Ritter said. “We brought new people in at that time to learn the routine.”
After all the preparation, the squad now looks to adjust and focus on the HAAC competition, which will take place in February. The squad will have enough members to compete and will do so in the “all girl” category of the competition due to the loss of Webb, the only male member of the squad.
Ritter said the squad will rebound from the loss of two captains by filling the leadership roles with two current members. She said the squad needs three captains because of the large amount of responsibility and work it takes.
Webb said he thinks the squad will be just fine when he and Lob leave.
“We’re captains; we’re there to guide and provide support, but we’re not totally in charge,” Webb said. “They’ll be able to handle it, and we’ll be replaced by people similar to us.”
King said she will have to adjust to having two different captains share the position with her.
“I think having to be able to work with other captains is going to be different, and we’re going to have to learn how to work with each other,” King said.
Along with replacing the captains, Webb said the squad is going to have to stay focused throughout the stressful practices leading up to the competition.
“With the short amount of time left until competition, the squad will have to stay positive with the routine so they can perform well,” Webb said.
He said with the amount of preparation the squad has undergone, he feels very positive about the outcome of the competition. He said the squad has strong replacements that have learned the routine quickly, and he looks forward to finding out if his positive prediction turns out to be true.