Barnes bound for Jonesboro

Barnes bound for Jonesboro

Marion cheerleader looking forward to career at ASU

Sports Editor To say that Charlee-Beth Barnes is dedicated to cheerleading may be an understatement.

The Marion senior has cheered since she was six years old, and on Wednesday, her hard work paid off when she signed to cheer at Arkansas State University.

“I chose Arkansas State because it’s close to home and I have a lot of family in Jonesboro,” said Barnes, who is actually graduating a year early from Marion.

Barnes earned her scholarship by impressing coaches during a grueling four-day tryout in Jonesboro.

“A lot of girls got cut, so that was pretty nervewracking,” explains Barnes. “It started on a Thursday and on that day we came in and learned all the material. We learned a cheer and a band dance.

On Friday, we came in and were there for four hours.

We tumbled and did interviews with the coaches and judges. On Saturday, we stunted, and that last five hours. On Sunday, we came back and performed the material that we learned on Thursday. Then, the coaches kicked us out for about two hours and we came back and the list was posted.”

Upon viewing that list, Barnes said that 24 of 60 people that tried out actually made the team.

Barnes said that she began cheering as a member of the Marion Youth Sports Association, and that’s where her love of the sport was launched.

“I started at MYSA, of course, and when I was seven I started competitive cheer in Jonesboro. That lasted four years,” Barnes said her cheer experienced. “Then for two years, I traveled back-and-forth between here and Little Rock, and since then I’ve been at a local gym for four years. So, I’ve been a competitive cheerleader for 10 years and cheered 11 years in all.”

Barnes was Marion’s cheer captain this past school year.

While she loves the sport, Barnes admits that sometimes cheer can become a bit of a time commitment, before thinking better of it. “There are times where I say to myself ‘Okay, I’m not doing this next year,’” said a smiling Barnes. “But I always end up going back to tryouts. I’m really excited about Arkansas State because I’m starting college, I feel like I’m going into a whole new world. Hopefully, four years of college and maybe a cheer coach after that.

It’s a huge part of my life.”

By Chuck Livingston