After the Rochelle varsity cheerleading program won another Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference Championship and qualified for the IHSA State Championships this season, Lady Hub senior Carly Weiner realized that she didn’t want her cheerleading career to end.

Weiner planned to pursue her academic studies at Northern Illinois University after graduating from Rochelle Township High School. But after helping the Lady Hubs reach state for the first time since the 2009-10 school year, Weiner decided to try out for the Huskie cheerleading program over Cinco De Mayo weekend.

Weiner said she wouldn’t have been too bummed out if she didn’t make the team, but the senior won’t have to worry about having any sour feelings after she learned that she was accepted into the program after her tryout. Weiner signed her National Letter of Intent during Rochelle’s Signing Day Ceremony this past Wednesday, and she said she plans to major in health sciences.

“It feels really good,” Weiner said. “I figured that if I didn’t make it, at least I tried. I just gave it a shot and I made it… I was with my mom when I found out and we were both really happy.”

Weiner’s interest in cheering at NIU began when she attended a clinic in February and met one of the Huskie cheerleaders, who then invited her to two of their open gyms. Her tryout began the morning of Saturday, May 5 when NIU hosted open tumbling and stunting for prospective cheerleaders. Weiner returned on Sunday, May 6 to perform in front of NIU cheer members before the final results were posted hours later.

“The first day was kind of like a skills check,” Weiner said. “Sunday was nerve-racking because we had one hour to warm up and review anything we needed to go over before they sent us into the hallway and called us in group by group… They were sitting on a stage and it was really intimidating but I just had to do it.”

Weiner transferred to Rochelle Township High School from Gilbert, Arizona where she cheered for two years at Hamilton High School. Weiner came to the Lady Hubs with eight years of competitive gymnastics under her belt, and although Weiner took cheerleading off during her junior year at Hamilton, she credited her Rochelle classmates and head coach Trish Rodeghero for reigniting her passion for cheerleading as a senior.

“My tumbling coaches in Arizona got me started but I think Trish made a huge impact on me,” Weiner said. “I think she lit my fire again. She got me motivated again and she helped me realize that I can’t settle... I cheered here because I love to cheer and it was an easy way for me to make friends. I definitely wouldn’t have decided to cheer in college if it wasn’t for this year.”

Weiner’s interest in cheerleading stems from her passion for gymnastics. Her old high school didn’t have a gymnastics program, however, and after injuries led Weiner to quit gymnastics in eighth grade, she began cheerleading because she found the sport to be the most similar to gymnastics.

“I still missed gymnastics and cheerleading was the closest thing that I could get,” Weiner said. “Cheerleading has definitely helped me find most of my best friends, and I love tumbling and being part of a team.”