2019 Malta Cheerleaders

The Malta M-ette Cheerleaders Team will have a new look after graduating five athletes last year and welcoming four brand new members to the group.

Last year’s graduating class included Chayana Stolem, Erika Nagy, Shelby Jones, Bethany Holm, and Jenna Waters.

Currently, Stolem is the only 2019 graduate to have attempted to cheer in college. According to Malta Head Coach Timberlee Pankratz, Stolem is trying out for the Cheer team at Minot State University this year.

The team welcomes back three talented and experienced cheerleaders in Jordan Markuson, Camryn Messerly, and Kailee Crowder, who each have cheered with Malta for multiple years. Coach Pankratz praised her returning group for what they have brought to this year’s group.

“These girls together all bring awesome leadership, teaching skills, new ideas, and passion to the squad,” Coach Pankratz said. “So far they're making my job easy with helping this season's new girls.”

This season, the Malta Cheer team welcomes Lavida Dalby, Keena Reed, Alexis Nelson, and Ye Rim, a foreign exchange student. Though the group is young, Coach Pankratz has been impressed with the skills and initiative that they have shown.

“This is a fast learning group that is loving all the aspects of cheerleading so far,” Coach Pankratz said. “They have great enthusiasm and have already shown me some new material that they would like to add to the program.”

The Cheer team was unable to make CheerFest this past season but Coach Pankratz hasn’t ruled out making the annual competition in 2020.

“Cheering for our school is our number one priority so we'll see how the regular cheer seasons go before making any commitments,” Coach Pankratz said. “We are hoping to be able to make it to CheerFest again with at least a dance routine if we aren't able to do a full cheer routine.”

As far as the team’s winter roster, it is too early for Coach Pankratz to know who will be on her squad.

“I'm not for sure on the winter roster,” Coach Pankratz said. “I'm expecting more returning girls who only do the winter season as well as some new girls to be trying out.”