If you happened to watch the Notre Dame football team’s playoff run to the national championship game, you may have seen one of Fennimore’s own on your television.
Isabelle James, daughter of Peter and Kara James, and a 2022 graduate of Fennimore High School, was cheering on the team as part of the Notre Dame cheerleading team.
This year is Isabelle’s second year as a member of the cheer team, and was named co-captain of the blue squad, the other squad being the gold squad, like Notre Dame’s school colors.
Isabelle, a junior this year at Notre Dame, majoring in computer science/engineering, had never previously cheered before joining the team during her sophomore year.
She played both volleyball and softball in high school, and had danced at Dance Elite since she was around three or four years old.
Isabelle said she thought about joining the dance team at Notre Dame, but a college friend encouraged her to try out for cheerleading.
She tried out during the spring of her freshmen year and made the team for her sophomore year.
And after trying out again, for this school year, she not only made the team, but was named a co-captain.
Isabelle cheered at all the Notre Dame home games, the road game against Purdue, and at all the games of the Fighting Irish’s playoff run including their first round game, the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, the Orange Bowl in Miami, and the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in Atlanta, unfortunately won by Ohio State 34-23.
In addition to football, Isabelle also cheers at the school’s volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball games.
“Cheerleading is a unique way to be involved with the other sports,” Isabelle explained. “We get to contribute to the team by cheering them on.”
Isabelle has of course made many friends cheerleading, although she stated it is more like family, a family with around 40 members this year.
As a school, Isabelle stated that Notre Dame, is definitely “one of a kind,” and it was “the best thing I could have asked for.”
When deciding on schools, Isabelle did ultimately choose Notre Dame over UW-Madison, because as she put it, “not too many people get the chance at attending Notre Dame. I really didn’t know all that much about the school before attending, but I’m glad I chose here.”
As for her senior year, Isabelle is on track to graduate next school year, and is applying for internships to help find her career path.
Cheer is in her plans also for her senior year, as she will again be trying out for next year’s team.
So, with men’s and women’s basketball still in season, if you happen to be catch a Notre Dame game on television, keep an extra eye out for Isabelle cheering them on.
