When Morgan Schabacker started cheering for the Rochelle Junior Tackle program in fifth grade, she was initially unsure of the welcome she would receive from her new teammates.
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When Morgan Schabacker started cheering for the Rochelle Junior Tackle program in fifth grade, she was initially unsure of the welcome she would receive from her new teammates.
Schabacker grew up attending Kings School, where she first began cheerleading alongside a small group of students. She didn’t know any of the other cheerleaders when she signed up for the RJT program, but it was then that Schabacker realized that cheerleading was her sport.
“Coming from a small class at Kings, I didn’t know any of the other girls going into tryouts, but they were all so welcoming,” Schabacker said. “I started cheering at Kings, but I really started to realize that cheerleading was a great fit for me when I became a part of the RJT program.”
Since that time, Schabacker has grown immensely as a cheerleader and formed many fond memories throughout her career. The Rochelle Township High School senior was a part of the 2018 Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference Championship squad that advanced all the way to the IHSA State Championships. Schabacker received several honors for her performance this season including Interstate 8 All-Conference recognition and an RTHS Cheerleader of the Year Award.
“The RTHS cheerleading program has taught me to always put my best effort into everything I strive to accomplish, be the best version of myself and be passionate about everything I do,” Schabacker said. “One of my favorite memories was being a part of the team that had the opportunity to compete at state in 2018. We all put so much work in throughout the season, and our work paid off when we performed our cleanest routine on the state mat.”
Schabacker, who will be attending Iowa State University to study agricultural business and animal science, cheered for four years with both the fall and winter teams at RTHS. An Interstate 8 Academic All-Conference honoree this season as well, Schabacker entered high school as a main base before transitioning to a back-spotting role with the Lady Hubs. Outside cheerleading, Schabacker was active in FFA, spending four years with the RTHS FFA.
“I believe my stunting skills improved the most over my last four years,” Schabacker said. “I enjoyed being someone who could step in and help a stunt group wherever I was needed, whether it was basing or in a backing position.”
