No fear for guys who cheer

ANAMOSA - Some young men at Anamosa High School are banking on an unconventional approach to meet girls.

This year's competition cheering team has 16 girls - and six guys. It's one of the largest such groups in the state.

Now seniors, Steven Coleman and Jesse Hansen joined the team a few years ago for a straightforward reason.

“Well, first, 24-hour girls,” Coleman said.

But as senior year approached, their focus turned to college.

“I'm not good at football at all. So cheer is my outlet to college,” Coleman said.

The pair are hoping for cheering scholarships to the University of Iowa. They said they've already had offers from a smaller school.

But their original reason for joining the cheering team is still a big draw.

“There are girls everywhere,” Coleman said.

“Well, that's how we got him here,” senior teammate Macki Ditch said. “We told him there would be a lot of girls.”

Ditch has cheered for years and says male teammates help boost the squad's abilities.

“With them we can do more stunts and tumbling - big points for state. We'd never be able to get second in state without them,” she said.

Last year, she said, the team tied for first in its division.

Coleman and Hansen recruited four other male friends to join this year.

“It's kind of hard not to make fun of somebody for it,” Travis Hensen said. “But once I got involved, it's a lot harder than most people think.”

The male cheerers are strong - Hensen considered joining the football team this year. The girls changed his mind.

“I'd rather be around the cutest girls in school than a bunch of big stinky men,” Hensen said.

“We got a really good deal - we have good boys,” Ditch said.

This weekend, the Anamosa team took second place in one of the competitions at the All Iowa Open Cheer, Dance & Drill, a first-ever tournament at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids.