The Dalles graduate Taylor Sugg gets her last opportunity to cheer at the Les Schwab Bowl with 17 other cheer members at 5 p.m. this Saturday in Hillsboro. Contributed photo
The Dalles graduate Taylor Sugg gets her last opportunity to cheer at the Les Schwab Bowl with 17 other cheer members at 5 p.m. this Saturday in Hillsboro. Contributed photo
Ever since she received notice in April, The Dalles High School cheerleader Taylor Sugg has been brimming with excitement for an opportunity to represent Riverhawk Nation on a big stage.
Sugg, a 2016 graduate, gets her chance to shine at 5 p.m. this Saturday at Hillsboro Stadium for the 69th annual Les Schwab Bowl for the South team.
“I am super excited to be a part of the Les Schwab Bowl,” Sugg said. “I think it’s going to be a great experience and I’m glad I get to cheer on Devin (TD football Devin Wilson). He has worked super hard this year and I am really proud of him for getting selected to be a part of the football team.”
Just like the football players, the cheerleaders have been hard at work this week preparing in-game cheers and devising a halftime routine with choreographer Brian Cao and coaches James Underwood, of Thurston, and Courtney Marshall, of South Albany.
Sugg is joined on the South team by 17 other cheer members from programs such as North Medford, Churchill, Crescent Valley, Sheldon and McMinnville, to name a few.
Last October, Sugg placed seventh overall, earning a spot as a member of the 2015 Oregon Cheerleading Coaches Association All-State Individual team, as she competed against a field of 120 boys and girls.
In February, Sugg and The Dalles competitive cheer squad capped a successful campaign with 174.30 points to grab second place at the 2016 OSAA U.S. Bank/Les Schwab Tires Cheerleading State Championships.
Those two acknowledgements opened the door for her invitation, something she takes pride in.
“The Dalles cheer program is very respected because of the impact that Leslie and Kristi Maley left on the cheer world,” Sugg said. “My coach Kelsey Sugg has done a great job of taking over the program and is another reason why The Dalles Cheer program is respected.”
Sugg will attend Oregon State University in the fall and plans to major in merchandising management and will also join the cheer team.
Sugg said it will be an emotional moment in her final game representing The Dalles. The biggest source of emotion is the fact that she will be leaving her older sister and coach as she heads off to Corvallis.
“It is bittersweet to see her cheer in one last game,” Kelsey Sugg said. “It still hasn’t hit me that she will be leaving and moving on to OSU next year. Taylor is an extremely talented athlete, and I know she will do an amazing job representing our program and community during the game this weekend. I am sad to see her go, but excited to see her represent our school and cheer her heart out one final time.”
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