Nevada Focus: Smith Valley cheerleaders do it all

Thursday, Dec. 10, 1998 | 4:29 a.m.

When coach David Vick says to shoot the ball during a game, they fire away. When told to rebound, they hit the boards. When told to pass, they record an assist.

And when the game is over and the coach's wife, Shelly, says it's time to cheer for the Bulldog boys team, they change their clothes and do that, too.

The varsity Bulldog cheerleading team is a mirror image of the basketball team this season, as all seven cheerleaders are also involved with the Smith Valley basketball team. Five of the cheerleaders, Corie Locklear, Risa Renner, Stevie Shehady, Kim Vick and Hillary Burt are on the varsity basketball team, while two, Bridget Sellars-Mann and Jennifer Stovall, play for the Bulldog junior varsity.

"It's a small school, so the kids do everything," said Shelly Vick, who's been the Bulldog cheerleading advisor for 11 years. "I wouldn't say it's a tradition, but we've always had girls involved in both programs."

A recent tournament in Dayton proved to be a typical evening for the Bulldog basketball-cheerleading team. The five varsity players-cheerleaders had about 15 minutes following their 47-42 victory over Whittell to get ready to cheer during the boys Bulldog vs. Warrior game.

Junior guard Risa Renner says the girls don't mind the additional duties that go along with being a cheerleader as well as basketball player.

"It's our choice," Renner said. "We all have pride in our school."

Participating in multiple activities is the norm at Smith Valley, with its enrollment of 98 students. All seven cheerleaders also played volleyball in the fall and all plan to either run track or play softball this spring.

"We do everything at the school, including student council and honor society," said senior guard Corie Locklear, who has participated in three sports and cheerleading in each of her first three years at Smith Valley.

Locklear adds there's no hard feelings that the boys team doesn't come out and cheer for the girls game - although it's evidence "they don't have as much school spirit as we do."

But she concendes there is one problem about having a combo basketball-cheerleading team: "Whenever we have pep rallies, they're for ourselves."

To participate in both basketball and cheerleading at Smith Valley essentially requires the girls to be at school for about 12 hours per day. Most arrive as early as 7 a.m. for "zero" hour to work on either academics or weightlifting and then they attend their regular classes. Basketball practice runs from 3-5 p.m., and then it's off to cheerleading practice for another hour or so.

Coach David Vick said he gives credit to the girls who participate in both activities

"I would say they work as hard at cheerleading as they do at basketball," said Vick, who has been coaching the Bulldogs for six years. "They are really good kids who work extra hard. They catch static (at school) for doing both, but it's in fun."