"There is a lot of energy and we can feel it on the field at each game"
(BLOOMINGTON) – The Indiana University football team is off to a historic 7-0 start and ranked 13th in the country.
The success has led to record attendance numbers as their remaining home games have all been sold out.
When the Hoosiers are on the field, there are three East Central graduates with the best seats in the house.
Blake Gindling and Karly Scholl graduated from East Central in 2022. Karly was the cheerleading captain her senior year and was selected to the IU cheer squad her freshman year.
“When I was in high school I didn’t think I was capable of being a Division One athlete, but I put my mind to it. I even missed my high school senior prom to try out for the team,” Scholl said.
After her freshman year, her coaches asked if her boyfriend, Blake, would be interested in joining the IU Cheer team.
Blake played football for East Central and never dreamt that he would find himself on a college cheer squad.
“I was super glad that Karly joined the team to begin with, and eventually asked me to join as well,” Blake said. “It’s really exposed me to a lot of new things while developing friendships with people I wouldn’t have met otherwise.”
After Blake joined, Karly wasn’t done recruiting for the Hoosier team.
Her younger sister, Kelsey, is a 2024 East Central graduate and was not a cheerleader in high school but was an avid gymnast.
After being around the IU program and taking some private lessons, she was also welcomed onto the IU cheer team.
Kelsey is part of the all-female spirit team that also competes at the all-girl cheer College Nationals in Florida in January.
What’s D1 College Cheerleading Like?
Just like any sport, the demands of college athletics are significantly more than in high school.
Blake and Karly cheer for both football and men’s basketball, while Kelsey cheers at football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball.
They practice multiple days a week for two-and-a-half hours each time. Several skills they perform during games are deemed illegal in high school cheer.
At each practice and game, there is a trainer who is looking for any possible injuries.
“The trainers are right by our side at all times and there is treatment whenever we need it. They always have our best interests in mind and can pick up on whether you are lying about an injury,” Kelsey said.
The three cheer members say it's a big time commitment but an opportunity they each treasure.
What’s the experience with IU Football been like this year?
“It’s absolutely electric this year!”
Cheering on the Hoosiers in front of a sold-out Memorial Stadium is something they will never forget.
Blake says its amazing to see the amount of fans looking down on them as they cheer.
“There is a lot of energy around Bloomington right now and we can truly feel it on the field at each game,” Blake mentioned.
Blake and Karly are looking forward to potentially traveling to whatever Bowl Game the team plays in later this season.
“I love being part of the energy at a basketball game, or the atmosphere inside the football stadium. I have grown a lot through this and it is incredible to be part of something bigger than ourselves,” Karly said.
What’s Your Advice to high schoolers interested in college cheer?
None of the three cheer members expected to be on a Division One cheer team while they were in high school.
Blake played football for 12 years at East Central and says the common denominator among his male teammates is that the majority all played sports in high school.
Kelsey says what drives her is how competitive she is. Being part of the UCA team brings out the competitiveness that she experienced for years as a gymnast.
They want current high schoolers that have an interest in college cheering to know that it is possible.
“I would say even though you might think you’re not good enough, you can do anything you set your mind to. I put in a lot of work to craft my skills, and I know others can do this too,” Kelsey said.
“My team is my family and my coaches are second mothers to me,” she added.
On A Personal Note:
On top of the demands of college cheer, they also have school work as they pursue their majors.
Karly is studying Speech Language and Hearing Sciences with the plan of going to graduate school. In college, she has found a passion for ASL and hopes to one day work in a VA hospital.
For Blake, he is majoring in biology and is planning to attend graduate school with the intent of becoming an anesthesiologist assistant.
While Karly and Blake are not exactly sure where they will end up, they know they will be together wherever that is. Blake recently proposed to Karly and Holtkamp Winery.
“I had several ideas where I could propose, but I know I wanted both of our families there,” he said.
The couple noted that they make it a priority to separate their relationship from cheer.
“Cheering is our job, and our relationship isn’t. It’s really important to us to keep that separate,” Karly said.
As for Kelsey, her background in gymnastics has inspired her future career.
“Growing up as a gymnast, I was always surrounded by injuries all the time, and was around MRI’s and orthopedic surgeons often,” she recalled.
Kelsey is majoring in biology with the goal of getting a doctorate and helping other athletes.
The three Southeast Indiana natives will be back on the sidelines Saturday when the Hoosiers host Washington.
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