Although the Lincoln High School football program has received quite a bit of Wallyhood coverage previously, I became aware of another high school athletic program that I knew very little about. As one of the organizers of the annual Wallingford Parade, I discovered that the Lincoln High School Cheer Squad, which was invited to participate, had won several awards under the guidance of Head Coach Olivia and Assistant Coach Rebecca. After the parade, I approached head coach Olivia to set up some time to meet.
Coach Olivia graduated from Ingraham High School in 2021, where she was part of the cheer team for four years, serving as captain for two of those years. After graduation, she started as a volunteer coach at Lincoln and, in 2024, became the youngest coach there, quite an accomplishment. Equally impressive, in addition to coaching, Olivia is pursuing a degree in Psychology/Nursing at the University of Washington. She came to Lincoln with the idea of making the cheer squad something for the school to be proud of, and members of her team share the same enthusiastic goal. Assistant coach Rebecca has also become a valuable mentor for the team.
Cheer squad members are carefully selected and must maintain a minimum 2.8 GPA, with attendance at practice being equally important. There are currently 26 members of the team, chosen from the tryouts held during the spring. Students in all grades are eligible to participate.
I also met three of the four captains of the squad. The selection process for captain is quite extensive, based on cheer experience, academics, interests, good role model characteristics, and three letters of recommendation. Final selections were based on individual interviews with coaches Olivia and Rebecca.
The cheer squad practiced all summer in preparation for supporting the football and basketball teams at games once school resumes in September. I came away from the introductory meeting quite impressed with Coach Olivia and the talented group of individuals making up the cheer squad.
Coaches Olivia and Rebecca have promoted the team by ensuring representation for Lincoln in many competitions throughout the state, where they have performed impressively. Achieving these awards is all the more impressive when considering that the cheer squad is considered a “club sport,” which means lower priority for access to practice facilities, again demonstrating the resolve of coaches Olivia and Rebecca, as well as the team.
LHS Cheer Squad Competition Awards
- 1st Place UCA Spirit Routine 2025
- 2nd Place UCA Camp Routine 2025
- 18 total All-Americans 2022-2025
- 2x St. Jude Spirit Stick Awards
- 1st Place Blue Fusion Cheer Competition 2024, Large Game Day Division
- 2nd Place Battle in the Desert Cheer Competition 2024, Medium Traditional Division
- 5th Place WIAA Cheer State Championships 2025, Medium Traditional 4A Division
- 7th Place WIAA Cheer State Championships 2025, Large Game Day 4A Division
- Judge’s Choice Award, Wallingford Parade 2025
Preparations for competitions typically start five to six months in advance of the event date. So, in addition to supporting the football team this fall, the squad will be preparing for the Grand Regional Competition at Kentwood High School in Covington, with the goal of qualifying for Nationals in February 2026. Also in November, the team will be participating in the “Bow UP @TUK” competition in Tukwila.
To promote the hard work that goes into their competitions, the Lincoln Film Club produced three documentary videos, which will give you a better appreciation for the hard work and dedication of the cheer squad:
I invite the Wallingford community to attend LHS sports games, and while you’re cheering for the team, take a moment to congratulate the cheer squad, who, after countless hours of practice and dedication, have achieved many honors among their high school peers. This is no small feat! The first LHS football game is September 5th at Mercer Island High School.
If the community is interested in supporting the cheer squad, more information, including how to donate to the team, can be obtained by contacting Head Coach Olivia at [email protected] or [email protected]. In addition, the cheer squad will be selling pink Lincoln T-shirts at the LHS student store, as well as at home football games. Some of the proceeds will go to support UW Breast Cancer Awareness, and the remainder will go to support the cheer team’s activities.
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