Fall 2021
Three cheers for a shoe
WSU cheerleader Kim Gage helped Nike with its first cheer shoe. » More ...
Cheerleading
Fall 2021
Cheers for WSU
Stories of Washington State University cheerleading and spirit squads
If you have your own cheer stories, send them to Washington State Magazine.
1972 Rally Squad
As a senior I was happy to be a part of Rally Squad my final semester at WSU in the fall of 1972. A highlight was picking up then Governor Dan Evans at the airport in my 1948 International mail van with Rally Squad members crowding the inside. We drove right to the front of the CUB and dropped him off with the Evergreen reporters, cheering fans, and bigwigs welcoming him to our incredible university. In addition, that … » More …
Fall 2006
Two female athletes, two public falls
In the first three months of 2006, two images of female athletes and their subsequent media interpretations played on television and front pages across the country. The first one showed Lindsey Jacobellis during the 2006 Winter Olympic Snowboard Cross competition falling after a jump near the end of her run. Headlines such as “Showboating Costs Snowboarder Gold” suggested that she tried for a “hotdog” finish which led to her subsequent second place. Apparently, with no one close behind her lead, Lindsey grabbed her snowboard in a showy move and lost control. In interviews, Lindsey claimed “I was having fun. Snowboarding is fun. I was ahead. … » More …
Winter 2005
Going with the Floe
Chris Floe has worked hard to prove himself in a world of student athletes who rank their particular sports above the others, especially above cheerleading.
Chris Floe’s arms are covered with tattoos. The bearded senior criminal justice major towers six feet, three inches, and has biceps like cantaloupes. A pigskin jock in high school, he works nights as a bouncer at The Coug.
He’s also a member of the Washington State University Cheer Team.
When asked what drew him into cheerleading, his response is simple: “Girls.”
“I got into it because of one specific girl,” he says. “But really, I didn’t have anything else to … » More …