That being said... I hope that this afternoon, Shelby Trinkle is stopping for a bit to smell the roses.
It's little secret around these parts that in Conrad, home of BCLUW... they take their cheerleading very seriously.
A perennial participant in the Iowa Cheerleading Coaches Association state championships, the Comet juggernaut that puts the gals in black -n- gold among the most respected units across the state annually has been up to its old tricks...
Just yesterday, Shelby Trinkle, a senior BCLUW cheerleader, joined her talented teammates in Des Moines to try to do something that hadn't been done since 2007....
Win the state championship.
Having many Comet cheerleaders in our studio down through the years, I've become a fan of the program and the young ladies that make it special.
The 2007 squad that took home the top hardware was coached by 32-year instructor extraordinaire Jeanne Ehn. It's often been said that you never want to be the one that has to fill the shoes of the legend...
And for anyone that doubts my sincerity about the legendary status of the former Comet coach... a quick look at the ICCA state results from 1991 through 2009 when Ehn retired will find only TWO instances when BCLUW didn't finish at LEAST third place or better. Six state titles, six runners-up, and five bronze medals for the girls in Greater Conradapolis in that span. Who on EARTH would want to follow that???
Shelby's mom... that's who.
I had met Kelly Trinkle at a golf meet last spring in State Center as Shelby and my daughter, Breanna, were in the same foursome at a meet at Lincoln Valley. There was a little impromptu version of the mutual admiration society as I complimented Coach Trinkle on her squads more recent history and also how much I enjoyed watching how animated Shelby was in her flyer role when I had the occasion of watching the Comets perform in the past few years.
Mrs. Trinkle returned the praise in kind as many of her best cheerleaders had come our way over the years and she had taken notice... not only of that... but also when we took time out to photograph the Comets runner-up routine in 2012 as part of the Coaches vs. Cancer event hosted in Conrad as BCLUW's Ray Callaway, and former East Marshall girls basketball coach, Rob Drake, were both bravely fighting the disease.
At or near the top of most of stunts that night was the sophomore version of Shelby Trinkle. Always bright eyed, smiling and never losing sight of her audience, I was impressed with the coaches daughter, as well as the entire squad.
Fortunately, it wouldn't be the last time I'd get to photograph Shelby.
A little over a month ago, Kelly gave me my opportunity when she called to set things up for mid-October for Shelby's senior session. The slot she picked was just two days prior to when her daughter would attempt to become one of around 30 cheerleaders state wide to be named an all-stater... for the second year in a row. And fortunately for the Trinkle family... the Friday senior session wasn't the highlight to their weekend... being named a back-to-back all-stater was!
Wow!
Add in the fact that the day BEFORE her session, Shelby surprised herself with a first place finish in Mount Mercy's math-lete competition... if you weren't impressed with her cute-as-a-button-ness... and her outstanding cheer prowess... she's just piling on with the fact she's got brains, too! :)
If she needed any help staying grounded, her big sis Morgan was there to make sure I knew that "Shelby isn't THAT smart." :)
What are siblings, for, right?
Turns out the that the Comet State Squad is a family operation as the curly-haired blonde, Morgan, helps with the choreography and one of her younger sisters, Madison, is also a squad member. Needless to say, Madison's twin sister, Mackenzie is the squad's biggest fan!
Can you imagine the amount of PEP the Trinkle dinner table has? Geesh!
Regardless, if being a math champion, a two-time all-stater (did I mention she was on homecoming court this fall?) wasn't enough, news came down yesterday afternoon that Coach Trinkle and her Comets had earned the title of Class 1A State Champions. Coach Ehn had piloted the program to six titles over the years, but this... the seventh... belonged to her successor.
Two and a half months into Shelby's senior year and she's packed a lifetime of memories into just ten weeks. A career that saw 2nd, 2nd, 4th and now 1st will never be forgotten. Somewhere in the middle of all that, I had one of my favorite sessions of the year with Team Trinkle. I know I can't hold a candle to all the other excitement and exhilarating accomplishment that Shelby has experienced recently... but I was thankful for the opportunity to play my little part in documenting this special young lady.
Enjoy this amazing time in your life, Miss Shelby... Very few of us ever get to have that feeling of being, at least ONCE, the best at what you do... and no matter what happens from here until the end of your days... you'll always be a state champion. Smile those infectious smiles Comet ladies... you've earned it. ;)
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