The IU South Bend cheerleading team has selected Kiersten Gagnon as their new captain, and as they prepare to enter a new season, Gagnon said she plans to bring some significant changes to the program and explore the world of competitive cheer.
Gagnon is a junior studying elementary education. She has 17 years of experience in cheerleading, starting at just 3 years old. She transferred from Grace College to attend IU South Bend and soon became captain of the cheer team.
Gagnon said she thinks she was chosen because of her cheerleading experience.
“I don’t think anybody else on the team said they’d been cheering for 18 years. I came in after Christmas last year, so I think only having a semester made it hard,” she said. “My experience, my knowledge and I think my personality was a big thing.”
Then, Gagnon shared what being cheer captain means to her.
“I think here it means a lot more to me because we are only a club here, so I want us to be viewed and respected. Being in the captain role, I get to take on that responsibility. We’ve gotten so many compliments and just knowing that I’ve put a lot of effort in to make our team look the best it’s probably ever looked is truly an honor,” she said. “Making all the friends and having that role and people to look up to me just means a lot.”
Typically, the IU South Bend cheerleading season follows the Titan basketball teams’ seasons, since as a club, they have less individual presence. In the coming year, Gagnon said she hopes to bring the cheerleaders into a competitive season, opening the door to compete for the respect she looks for in cheer.
“I’m hoping to compete at least three competitions. We won’t go anywhere like nationals this year, but just looking for us stepping out and kind of showing that IUSB does more than just cheering on sidelines. I’m also hoping to do a show-off before our first competition of our routine,” she said.
Gagnon has shown confidence and determination in aiming for a competitive season, and Titans fans can only wonder where this ambition will take our cheerleaders. With a new standard of performance, the team may carve a path toward independence, moving beyond the sidelines and approaching cheer as its own sport.
Cheerleading tryouts are set to take place in the last week of May, but the team will also host a call-out meeting on April 28 from 6-7 p.m. at the Student Activities Center. For other announcements and news about IU South Bend cheer, find them @iusb_cheerleading on Instagram, or check their Titan Atlas page.
