The Northwestern State University cheerleading squad has taken on a distinctly local flavor this year with the addition of three young men and a young lady who are alumni of Natchitoches parish high schools. Natchitoches Central alumni Dylan Lorenz ’18, Weston Noe ’19 and Jayla Barfield ’18 are joined by St. Mary’s alumnus David Thibodaux ’18 on the Demon cheer squad.

These young men and women are superb athletes in their own right. In the weeks before classes start, they are practicing 2 to 3 times a day, working on the skills needed to perform the stunts that thrill the crowds at every NSU home game. During the school year, they practice three days per week and work out on their own. The young men and women came to collegiate cheerleading with a wide variety of high school experience, ranging from football and baseball to high school cheerleading.

The Natchitoches Parish Journal is always delighted to see smart, hard working young people from our community reach their God given potential. We wish Dylan, David, Weston and Jayla all the best in their college journeys and are looking forward to watching them perform at NSU games. May they have to do a lot of push-ups this season!

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