It's all in the Cards
Butler cheerleader makes the squad at U. of Louisville

By John Enrietto
Eagle Sports Editor

Since eighth grade, Macey Buzanoski knew where she wanted to be in college.
This fall, the 2009 Butler graduate will be there.
Buzanoski is headed to the University of Louisville to join the Cardinals coed cheerleading team and to major in either business management or criminology forensics.
"I saw them compete in Atlanta when I was an eighth grader and they just blew everybody away," Buzanoski said. "I mean, they were awesome.
"They were the best cheerleading team in the country, and I knew that's where I wanted to go. I also knew I needed to push myself because I was in no way good enough yet."
Louisville's coed cheerleading team has won the national championship three times in the past four years. This year, the Cardinals swept the college nationals in Daytona Beach, Fla., winning the small coed, large coed, all-female team and dance team competitions. No NCAA cheerleading organization had ever scored such a sweep.
Buzanoski wanted to make Louisville's team so badly that she missed her prom to go there for tryouts in April.
"I thought about the prom my entire weekend down there," she admitted. "I was so stressed out about it, but (cheerleading) was something I really wanted to do."
About 250 girls tried out for the team. Only 25 were kept. Final tryouts went from noon to 9 p.m. on a Saturday and the names of those who made the team were posted at midnight.
Buzanoski was a freshman on the Butler High competitive cheerleading squad that placed second at nationals in Orlando, Fla. While she remained a Butler cheerleader, she wasn't a member of the Golden Tornado's competitive squad again.
"You couldn't do high school competitive cheering and all-star cheerleading at the same time," Buzanoski said.
Buzanoski competed for the FCA Gems Diamonds in Sarver for five years and was part of squads that placed fourth and fifth, respectively, in 500-team world competition the past two years.
"We've sent a lot of girls on to cheer in college, but Macey's our first Louisville girl," said FCA Gems coach Jennifer Walton, a former Butler cheerleader. "We've had other girls want to try out there and we discouraged them because the talent level at Louisville is incredible."
Buzanoski, who has participated in all-star cheerleading for 10 years, might receive an athletic scholarship, though that won't be known until the fall.
James Speed, the coach of Louisville's coed squad, has done camps with FCA Gems cheerleaders and knew of Buzanoski.
"He does so much traveling for camps that he could practically hand pick his team if he wanted to," Walton said. "I knew he wanted Macey. He was impressed by her all-around performances."
Butler cheerleading coach Lindsay Hasychak said Buzanoski benefited from her high school and all-star cheerleading experiences.
"She needed to excel in both worlds," Hasychak said. "She got to work on and develop her tumbling and stunting skills with all-stars. In high school, she gained experience cheering with a team at football and basketball games.
"She'll be doing both at Louisville. She's an extremely talented young lady and we're proud of her."
Butler has sent a handful of cheerleaders on to Division I programs in recent years. KayLeigh Vodenichar and Lisa Ireland made the team at Florida State, while Lynsi and Leah Renwick and Missy Fogel made the team at Penn State.