Kelly Ann O'Leary '23 Recruiting Profile

Over the past 4 years, Cheerleading has shaped me into a new person. I have been able to do what I love, as well as help others around me experience the sport, such as coaching children and working volunteer clinics. I have become more confident and outgoing, and found a new family full of girls with the same passions as me. I have been on the varsity team the past 4 years, and experienced many incredible things, and also some things that made me feel as though my heart broke. I have been lucky enough to go the UCA Nationals 2/3 of my years, (one being a COVID year). My first year we placed 5th in the Nation in the All-Girl Medium D2 Division. This past year, we did not make it past the preliminary round due to a routine filled with nerves and jitters. Knowing that we had a routine that could qualify us for finals, we felt broken and empty. We worked through our rough patch and came out stronger, winning the County Championship and the New York State Championship for the first time in my school's history, General Douglas MacArthur High School.

When I am in college, I am looking to be a part of a team as dedicated and determined as my high school team was. Doing this sport for so long has been a blessing in disguise, as I have made new friends and introduced to incredible things. My goal for college is to balance both my academic and athletic life, while having free time to see new places and meet new people. I am so excited to see where life takes me, and to see what new memories I can make with new teammates.