Hana Williams signs on to cheer at Shorter
After being a cheerleader for most of the past 12 years, Hana Williams expected her time on the mat to end this past season.
Fate, however, had other plans and the soon-to-be Gordon Lee High graduate will be trading in navy blue for royal blue after signing on with the cheer program at Shorter University on Friday.
“It’s exciting,” Williams said. “I didn’t expect myself to make it this far with this year being my last year, but I got recruited and it just kind of blew up from there. I’m getting a pretty good offer, so I just couldn’t say no to it.”
On top of having one of the top cheer programs in all of Division II, with five NCA national titles and several other top-five finishes to its credit, Williams cited other positives about the Rome school.
“They have a really good medical program there,” she explained. “Plus, it’s a private school and I really didn’t want to go to a huge school, so I decided to go there over where I was planning to go. They have a really pretty campus too.”
Shorter cheer coach Jason Stockton said the program was “excited” to be able to sign Williams to the squad.
“She is not only talented, but she comes from a (cheer) program that is producing blue chip talent,” he said. “(With) the culture that Gordon Lee has and the job that they’re doing here, we’re just really excited to be able to recruit her. She’s a warrior and she’s a tough kid.
“I saw her perform at our clinic and after seeing her and being introduced to her by our assistant coach, Arika Culp, I knew I wanted her to be part of our program. We just placed fourth at nationals and with kids like Hana, next year we’re going to hopefully win first (place). She’s a rock star.”
Gordon Lee cheer coach Kelley Whitman said Williams would definitely be an asset to the Hawks’ program.
“Hana is going to be great at being a strong base,” she began. “Her tumbling skills are amazing. Her jumps are some of the most beautiful that we’ve ever had and just her overall work ethic is what I think she’s going to bring to their team.
“I think (cheering in college) was something she was just meant to do. We know she’s going to succeed and make everybody back at home proud.”
Williams said she would miss cheering at Gordon Lee, where she was a part of the last two of the team’s current run of five straight Class A Public School state championships.
“Gordon Lee is one of the best programs I’ve ever been enrolled in,” she added. “I’ve only been cheering here for two years and it’s still one of the best experiences I’ve ever had as a cheerleader.”
Williams wants to become a nurse practitioner with a focus on pediatrics.