Senior Abby Zappola is a cheerleader for the University of Mount Union Purple Raiders. She has cheered competitively throughout her life and on the sidelines all four years at Mount Union. Zappola has cheered for football, basketball, and at nationals in Orlando, Florida during her time at Mount Union. Zappola reflected on her time as a cheerleader; “Being a cheerleader for the Raiders at the University of Mount Union has meant being a part of something bigger than myself. It’s given me a family on campus and a chance to represent my school with pride. I’ve learned responsibility, teamwork, and how important it is to show up for others, whether it’s my teammates or the players on the field. Most of all, it’s been fun and rewarding.” Hours of hard work perfecting skills has helped lead Zappola to where she is now. I had the opportunity to hear about Zappola’s biggest lesson that she has learned from her time at Mount Union. She said, “my biggest lesson from cheering has been learning the value of teamwork and trust. No one can do it alone, you have to count on your teammates, and they have to count on you. I’ve realized how important it is to work together and trust each other.” The cheer team performs many different stunts and tricks during the football games, basketball games, and at nationals. The girls must lean on each other, especially while stunting, and trust that their teammates will have their backs. Without having trust in each other, someone may fall out of a stunt and become seriously injured. It is incredibly important for the girls to trust in one another at the games and on the mats. 

The cheer team will travel to Orlando, Florida in January of 2026 to compete at nationals. “The team hopes to improve at nationals this year by having a group of girls who truly want to be there and enjoy being together. Building strong team bonding has been a big focus, because when we’re connected off the mat, it shows in how we perform on the mat. Supporting each other, keeping a positive attitude, and a united mindset will help us be more confident and work as one team,” stated Zappola. The team looks to improve their national scores from the previous year and make history by making it to day two of nationals.

As Zappola’s time as a cheerleader begins to come to an end, she reflects on her cheerleading career and what she will miss the most about cheer; “I’ll miss the friendships and the bonding that comes with it. Spending so much time together at practices, games, and competitions has made my teammates feel like family, and I’ll really miss those memories and connections,” said Zappola. As many know, college years fly by and Zappola wants future Raider cheerleaders “to have fun and enjoy every moment because the time goes by so fast!” You can watch Zappola flip, stunt, and cheer on the Raider football team at the next home game on October 4th, at 1 p., at Kehres Stadium!