WebExclusive: NHS grad makes Panthers’ cheer team

Hailey Allen, class of 2009, spoke to the cheerleading and dance teams about her experience as a Carolina Panthers’ cheerleader Sept. 21. By Tori Nothnagel/The Omniscient

Most of us have been through the tedious process of tryouts for school sports or activities, but Northwood graduate Hailey Allen went through tryouts for the Panthers’ Cheerleading Team, TopCats.

Allen came back to Northwood Friday, Sept. 21, for the home football game against Lee Senior. Before the game she talked with current cheer and dance team members, and held a question and answer session.

“[Allen] helped me learn what it’s like to be a cheerleader in the future and see how hard you have to work,” said Emma Hollar, sophomore varsity cheerleader.

Allen graduated Northwood in 2009 and cheered all through middle and high school. She is currently a senior at UNC-Greensboro, majoring in event management and minoring in dance; business administration; and travel and tourism management. This is her first season as a Panthers’ Cheerleader.

“Since I was little, I always wanted to be a Panthers’ Cheerleader,” Allen said. “You have to be 21 in order to try out and I barely made the deadline, so I decided to try out and just see how far I could get. I never had any intentions of making the team this year, but I’m so glad that I did.”

Allen’s try out process was a month long with four different rounds.

“You had the first round, the second round, you had semifinals and the finals,” said Allen. “You had to go through meetings and interviews. It was a very long process but it was obviously very rewarding since I made the team.”

Allen got nerves of course, too, just like most of us do.

“During [tryouts] I was terrified because I felt like I was messing up, and just generally scared,” Allen said.

Allen says she has also always been into dance and wanted to pursue dance in college. That’s how she made the decision to attend UNC-G.

“I made the dance team first and that’s what college I decided to go to,” Allen said.

As a student, Allen has to balance her schedule. She has practices twice a week and then cheers at home games on Sundays. She still lives in Greensboro, so she has to drive to Charlotte for practices and games.

“You definitely have to figure out and plan out your schedules, but our practices don’t really interfere with my school schedule,” Allen said. “You just have to be willing to work hard in school and work hard for the Panthers as well.”

— By Tori Nothnagel