“Cheerleading has been a big part of my life and has given me an outlet to always do the best I can and show my true personality,” Sadie Bacza, sophomore, said.

Bacza has cheered for the Minooka Indians since 6th grade, improving throughout the years. This is her second year cheering for varsity as a flyer. Walking into her freshman year she hoped to have a riveting impact on the team. Her first year was a very successful year as the Indians were able to qualify for state.

Bacza has competed as a gymnast for many years before starting cheerleading. The tumbling skills she learned helped her advance as a cheerleader and made her an essential part of the team.

“My favorite part about being on the team is meeting new people and flying,” Bacza said.

Her teammates are always there for her and encourage her to perform the best she can. The team feels that Bacza has improved greatly since her freshman year, they feel she has improved immensely on her tumbling and balance when flying.

“She is funny and super smart. She’s always so nice to everyone no matter what and makes cheer really fun,” Morgen Brenn, sophomore teammate, said. “She can joke around, but still be serious and pushes her teammates to work hard and get better.”

The varsity cheerleaders qualified for state are are competing Feb. 3 and Feb. 4 at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington.

“My state experience has been super fun so far. The most important part to me is having fun and competing under the lights with my friends,” Bacza, said. “ We have worked really hard to get where we are.”

Being able to compete in her second state finals means a lot to Bacza, and she is hoping that her next two years she will be able to continue on with cheer and win a state championship for Minooka.