By Kelsi Peace, Features Editor
With just four weeks to prepare to tumble, vault and perform, the Flying Cats will have their first meeting Tuesday from 1:45 to 3 p.m. in the gymnastics room of the Gibson Health and Physical Education Center.
Ben Zickefoose, Flying Cats sponsor, said the team will perform after Homecoming Chapel Friday, Oct. 13, and Zickefoose told the Cats he wants the show to be “as spectacular as we can make it.”
The Cats will practice every Tuesday and Thursday from 1:45 to 3 p.m., preparing to “pass” over the vaulting box, synchronizing group routines and perfecting partner routines.
Not all members will be able to do everything, Zickefoose said.
“You don’t have to be experienced because when we’re doing a show, if you can do something, we want you to do it,” Zickefoose said.
Experience ranges from those with competitive gymnastics experience or national competitive cheerleading experience to those who have never before been involved in gymnastics.
Zickefoose said any student interested is welcome to attend Tuesday’s practice. Students will need to commit to learning the routine if they decide to participate, he said.
“We like everybody working toward the goal of the preparing for the show,” Zickefoose said. He said each practice is not wasted time, rather it’s time to prepare for the 12-minute show that will take place during Homecoming Chapel.
Zickefoose, who said he wanted to have at least 10 participants, said about 14 have shown interest, and more may participate.
William Hoisington, senior communication major from Florence, will start his fourth semester with the Flying Cats on Tuesday.
Hoisangton, who has been doing acrobatics since age 13, said the mini tramp is one of his favorite aspects of the sport.
Flying Cats will end in November for the fall semester when Zickefoose begins teaching a gymnastics majors course. The Cats will resume after Christmas Break, Zickefoose said.
In addition to a Homecoming performance, Zickefoose said the Cats have a standing invitation to present a program to the Boys and Girls Club in Abilene, and the Cats may also have a Super Stunt Thursday, where friends can watch a performance, much like a piano recital, Zickefoose said.
Students purchase a T-shirt for the club, and prices range from $8 to $10, depending on how many students will participate.
ACU’s dress code applies to both practices and performances, and students can check out uniforms from the university.
