Taylorville High School graduate Ella Hohenstein is taking her cheerleading career to the next level. After a competitive audition process, Hohenstein has earned a spot on the varsity cheerleading team at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Hohenstein recently spoke with us about the pressure of auditions, the emotions of earning a roster spot, and what the opportunity means moving forward.

Hohenstein started off with tumbling and from their love of being in the air grew. When Hohenstein was in middle school, she was in basketball, but in junior high she saw a try out for cheerleading for high school and she made the JV Squad. While there she got All American.

As a varsity captain, Hohenstein knew that she wanted to keep doing it and started going to clinics. While many athletes finish their careers after high school graduation, Hohenstein said cheering at the collegiate level had been a goal for years. She started thinking about what she wanted to do whether it came to major and cheer program.

The audition process was complex and took many many steps.  In the process for getting into U of I, she saw the tryout for Round 1 and said she knew she had to do it. 

For the second round, Ella said the waiting was nervewracking. 

Than the moment came where she got the email and it didn’t seem real.

She says that the support from her coaches and family have been huge.

Hohennstein says the biggest advice is to not be scared.

Hohenstein starts classes in the fall.  Find out more about Illinois cheerleading at https://fightingillini.com/sports/cheerleading.