On Thursday, May 16, 2024, Hatboro-Horsham senior Mikaela Gelbard was recognized for committing to continue her cheer career at Widener University.
Mikaela Gelbard – Widener University (Cheer)
Major: Nursing
Final list of colleges: Widener, Drexel, Temple, West Chester, Delaware
Reasons for choosing Widener: “The environment, the campus is really nice, the people are really nice, and it kind of won me over after the cheer tryout because the cheer team was really nice. I had never experienced such a good community.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in cheer at the collegiate level? “I never really thought about it – it didn’t cross my mind. I started cheer when I was in fifth grade, and I’ve been doing it every year since. I actually did gymnastics since I was three – I always wanted to be in the Olympics in gymnastics, but that quickly changed when I moved to cheer. The UCA (Universal Cheerleaders Association) college stuff just really intrigued me. I was going to go to college without sports, but then they started reaching out to me, and I was interested – why not?”
Coach Autumn McNew says: “Mika is an outstanding and phenomenal athlete. She’s very athletic, and she’s very outgoing. She’s one of our strongest bases, and we are totally going to miss her next season. She has the best facials on the team. She’s dedicated but not even just with the athletics. She’s a great friend to have, she’s a great teammate to have, she’s always there for somebody if they need it. She has good sportsmanship, and she always keeps everybody up. She’s just a great athlete overall.”
About Mikaela:
Favorite food: Brazilian food
Favorite TV show: Teen Wolf
Favorite artist: Lil Tjay
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