Hunter Nolen '24 Recruiting Profile

Personal Statement:

I have been doing competitive cheerleading since I was eight years old. When I hit the mat for the first time, I knew that I wanted to cheer at the highest collegiate level. Growing up my mother was a high school and competitive cheer coach, when I started going to practices with her, watching the older girls, cheerleading became my biggest interest.  I started at five with recreational cheer and progressed from there. I know being able to cheer in college would be a life-changing opportunity for me.

I have advanced basing skills (level 6), intermediate flying skills,  level 4/5 tumbling skills, mental toughness, and a contagious attitude. I am a team captain who leads by example. I find it so important to motivate my teammates during practices and competitions. I am one of the most coachable athletes you’ll meet. I aspire to always be one of the hardest-working ladies on the team, I promise you won't find a harder-working recruit for your program.

I have had to overcome a lot in the last four years of my life to get where I am today with Cheerleading. I had life-altering brain surgery in Nov 2019 and the diagnosis came out of nowhere.  I was told that I may never cheer again but at the least, I would be out for a year.  I knew I would do whatever it took to get back on the mat that season. That is when I truly learned the warrior spirit, I had within myself and learned I could conquer any obstacle that was presented to me. After surgery every goal my neurosurgeon set, I would crush the goals weeks before I was supposed to. I had to go through therapy to re-learn balance and another therapy to relieve pressure on my neck and head. The Neurosurgeon said she had never had a patient with as much determination as I did to get back to the sport I loved. I am proud to say I was cleared to compete four months after the surgery. On my last visit, before she cleared me, she said I was a true miracle and that my hard work had paid off. I lost some of my tumbling skills due to the pressure in my head which affected my equilibrium when I was inverted tumbling.  This was just another obstacle I knew I had to overcome, I worked at the gym every time I could to get my skills back. I was able to succeed and then was able to progress to the next levels of tumbling.

I work hard year-round tumbling, stunting, and flexibility to be the best athlete I can be. I have been blessed to have won as many regional and national championships. I have also had the opportunity to get invited to the Summit and US Finals.  I have been able to experience some of the most rewarding things through being a cheerleader.

I am a homeschooled student and I work hard to maintain a high GPA. I volunteer through my church and local homeless organizations throughout the year, as it is one of my passions to help others. I am also a junior coach in my competitive cheer gym, I also coach at local camps and clinics.

I want to attend a university where I can excel equally in the classroom and in the gym for cheerleading. My goal is to find the best university in my field of study and at the highest level of competition possible.  I want to become a positive leader to my friends, team, and college community. My parents have been so instrumental in my life and have taught me with hard work and determination, what is possible, I ultimately want to make them proud of me in the next chapter of my life.