“Ding ding… 1…3…5…7” floods the gym as senior Teagan Borla swiftly loads into her stunt pod, facing the crowd and judges with a bright smile. Her teammates stand to the side, cheering and jumping as she hits her stunt. Joining the sport in her freshman year, Borla has become a staple flyer for the PRHS Stunt team.
Serving as the jumps and tumbling captain, Borla leads the team through synchronization and technique for the third quarter of stunt matches. Only 30 seconds in length, she works quickly in perfecting routines for matches. She’s received awards for most improved stunter, and is a part of the 300, 200, and 100 club for stunt (the power points players receive in matches).
Aside from stunt, Borla has been on the Varsity cheer team for four years and on the advanced dance team for one year. She also competes on the competition cheer team in the winter. She is the co-captain of the cheer team, aiding in leadership of the cheer squad throughout the season.
Borla started her cheer career in eighth grade. Carrying cheer into high school, she didn’t fully start flying until her junior year. Alongside flying, she occasionally works as a base under her fellow flyers.
Although the execution of Borla’s skills are, her athletic journey hasn’t always been perfect. Noticing a swollen and painful ankle in her freshman year, she was forced to endure the pain as nobody could figure out what was wrong with it. In her junior year, she discovered it was a torn tendon and needed surgery on her ankle during competition season. Still recovering from the pain, Borla now feels limited in her skillset.
“It was hard to watch everyone do what I wanted to do. Ever since, I have been scared to tumble to my full potential and I’ve lost all of my confidence in tumbling,” Borla said.
Even with a stressful injury, Borla has continued to rise above the rest and grow in her sports. Once described as timid and shy, she has now transformed into a talkative and open person. She credits this change to cheer and her Varsity cheer coach, Codie Wilshusen.
“Before I started cheer, I was extremely shy, struggled with talking to people, and had no confidence. Ever since then, Codie and cheer have really helped me come out of my shell,” Borla said.
Working with Borla since her freshman year, Wilshusen describes their relationship as a close one.
She highlights Borla’s work ethic, communication skills, and determination as an athlete. She also credits much of the PRHS Cheer program’s growth to Borla, hoping that future cheerleaders will one day follow in her footsteps.
“I would classify her as a silent leader. She was a shy individual to start, but always a positive light in the program,” Wilshusen said.
After graduation, Borla will be going to Jessup University for their stunt and competitive cheer program. She also intends on starting her cosmetology course alongside stunt and competitive cheer.
