Winter prep preview: Coupeville cheer

By JIM WALLER
Whidbey News Times Sports editor
November 30, 2012 · Updated 10:13 AM 

The Coupeville High School cheer squad will be under the direction of a new coach, Cheridan Eck, this winter.

Veteran coach Sylvia Arnold is taking some time off for personal reasons but “would like to come back one more time during football season for her son’s senior year and then may retire,” Eck said.

Eck brings a strong background to the program. Besides co-coaching the Coupeville team this fall and helping out some in the past, she was a Seattle Sonic dance team member for six years.

She said, “I have done numerous professional dancing jobs and Broadway musicals growing up as well as TV shows. Singing, dancing and acting is my thing.”

Eck’s goals this year are to integrate more dancing into the Wolves’ routines and to “have some fun while still keeping their love of cheering.”

Eck, who is a fitness instructor, will be adding a strength program to the team’s workouts to teach correct techniques and body alignment. These fundamentals are “extremely useful when dancing and cheering,” she said.

Members of this year’s team are Emily Clay, Caitlyn Connolly, Kirsten Pelroy, Iris Ryckeart, Jovanah Foote, Kylie Burge, Elizabeth Bishop, Sylvia Hurlburt, Elena Jimenez-Guerra, Destiny Bitting, Jessica Painter, Cheyenne Yocham, Therese Lee, Nicole Becker and Darian Emerick.

Contact Whidbey News Times Sports editor Jim Waller at jwaller@whidbeynewsgroup.com or 360-675-6611 ext. 5060.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.

So keep your comments:

  • Civil
  • Smart
  • On-topic
  • Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.