g'me an aye, mate

Whipping up spirit for the Down Under Bowl

An adventurous Whitefish High School cheerleader will join other cheerleaders and athletes from across the United States, Australia and New Zealand this summer when Australia hosts the 2006 Down Under Bowl.

Tianna Thomas, a 15-year-old Whitefish sophomore who has been a cheerleader for four years and a dancer for much longer, will be part of the Montana cheer squad coached by Dani Ruoff of Montana State University in Bozeman.

"When I heard, right away I said I want to go," Thomas said of her reaction when Whitefish cheer adviser Shelley Maassen's recommendations of several girls on the squad prompted letters of acceptance.

"I didn't see myself having an opportunity later to go to Australia, so if I can go now, why not? If I can get the support of my community now, why not?"

Thomas has made a good dent in the $3,600 she needs to raise to cover her expenses but continues to pursue community donations for the $2,000 she lacks.

Maassen said that when she got the heads-up from Ruoff, "I recommended my cheerleaders I thought had the skills they were looking for and the energy they needed."

Thomas' positive attitude and great skills foundation made the grade.

"She already had the good cheer skills and she's just a good person, a wholesome all-around, all-American kid," Maassen said. "She's well-rounded in schoolwork and activities … She'll be a good representative for our school and for Montana."

Thomas was the only member of the Whitefish Bulldogs cheer squad to take up the offer from International Sports Specialists Inc. - and therefore the only one who committed to full-tilt fundraising.

International Sports Specialists was founded in 1989, when New Zealander George O'Scanlon pursued his dream to promote U.S. football to the people of New Zealand and Australia.

He set up the exchange called the Down Under Bowl which, now in its 18th year, has expanded beyond football to include track and field, cheerleading, basketball, volleyball, swimming and diving, cross-country track, wrestling, soccer and golf.

Over the years, students across the United States have enjoyed the sights and fun available in Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii as part of their Down Under Bowl experience, which links them with between 2,000 and 3,000 fellow athletes.

Thomas has not been able to attend team meetings, but she met up with Ruoff at a cheer camp in Kalispell during January and liked what she heard.

She figures the first time she will meet the rest of her team will be at the airport as they gather to fly out to Los Angeles on June 28 - just a week after Thomas' 16th birthday.

From there, they undertake a marathon flight to Brisbane on Australia's eastern seaboard. Located just north of the famed Gold Coast, Brisbane is called Queensland's contemporary urban capital and Australia's fastest-growing city.

Cultural exchanges and athletic competitions will fill the next week at the Down Under Bowl. They will stay at top-rate hotels, enjoy quality Australian cuisine and bask in their celebrity status as they meet locals.

At the end of the week, the group flies out to spend three or four days in Honolulu before returning to the continental United States on July 9.

Thomas figures this could be a good experience if she does participate in cheer activities in college. So far, she is considering applications to Fort Lewis, Colo., or maybe Ithaca in upstate New York.

As a freshman last year, she cheered with the junior varsity squad for the full year. This year, she moved up to the varsity cheer squad but limited herself to football and volleyball so she could put more energy into her classes.

"I joined cheer mostly because I really like to dance," Thomas said.

Her favorite, she said, is stunting. That's the acrobatic end of cheerleading that sends cheerleaders flying into the air, put up there by cheerleaders who set up the base (Thomas' specialty), and supported by more who post around the base in case somebody falls.

She knows cheerleading is up there in the rankings of dangerous sports, but she works on her balance and sharpness to help make a good squad.

It's not the danger that bothers her, however. It's having to stay focused on routines the cheerleaders run throughout games, especially football games, when she wants to turn around and holler with the crowd.

"I don't want to be the 'candy girl,'" she said. "I want to support the school and the team."

Thomas has sent out fundraising letters to friends and family. Her parents, NorskStar Seafood owners Tracey and Kirk Thomas, are offering a chance to win $500 worth of seafood for those who can help sponsor her trip. To see how you can help, call the family at 862-0519.

Reporter Nancy Kimball can be reached at 758-4483 or by e-mail at nkimball@dailyinterlake.com.