HILLSDALE — For four years, Brooklyn Whaley was quite literally the athlete her teammates trusted to be above everyone else.
As Hillsdale High School’s lone senior flyer during the 2025-26 season, Whaley carried one of the most demanding roles in competitive cheer, anchoring the Hornets’ stunts while helping guide the program through one of the most successful seasons in school history.
Now, the Hillsdale senior graduate is taking that role to the Division I level.
Whaley officially signed with the Central Michigan Cheer and Stunt program, becoming just the third cheerleader in Hillsdale program history to continue competing with an NCAA Division I athletics program. She will participate in both competitive cheer and sideline cheer while pursuing a degree in child psychology.
“I will be doing competitive and sideline cheer,” Whaley said. “As a little girl, I’ve always really looked up to all the older cheerleaders. So I’m stepping into that position where all these little girls are going to now look at me.”
The decision capped a decorated varsity career that helped elevate Hillsdale’s competitive cheer program under coach Tara Scott.
A four-year varsity athlete, Whaley developed into one of the Hornets’ leaders, serving as a team captain while becoming the face of a program that continued to raise its expectations each season. Hillsdale repeated as Hillsdale County champion during her senior campaign, earned honorable mention Academic All-State recognition as a team and posted program records for highest scores while compiling the best season in school history with four meet victories and four top-three finishes.
Whaley also earned All-County honors, was an all-area conference honoree throughout her career and collected Athlete of the Week nominations.
The team’s only flyer
Her role as the team’s only senior flyer made those accomplishments even more significant.
Flyers are responsible for executing the high-pressure aerial elements of a routine while relying on complete trust in their teammates below. Throughout the season, Whaley consistently delivered in those moments as Hillsdale continued to establish new program benchmarks.
Among her favorite memories was helping the Hornets continue their rivalry success.
“Beating Jonesville, obviously,” Whaley said. “And just how small we are and how much we grow as a team. Cheer’s not talked about enough. Just winning as many trophies as most of the teams here is really amazing.”
Choosing a school
Her collegiate decision ultimately came down to two programs.
Whaley also considered Adrian College before choosing Central Michigan, believing the opportunity to compete on one of the state’s largest stages fit both her athletic and personal goals.
“I feel like just in a small town, everyone knows everyone,” Whaley said. “So finally stepping out of my comfort zone and cheering in front of thousands of people is something I’ve always wanted to do.”
Her parents believe that challenge is exactly what makes Central Michigan the right fit.
“I think she’ll go very far,” her father, Chris Whaley, said. “She’s a very dedicated girl when it comes to sports. She’s been in cheer since elementary school. When she gets there, she’s going to see a lot more competition that she hasn’t seen yet, but I guarantee she’s going to rise to the occasion.”
He added that competing at a Division I school will provide the environment his daughter has been working toward throughout her athletic career.
“It’s going to be a bigger school for her,” Chris Whaley said. “I think she’s looking forward to that and getting out there on the field and cheering with some top-level cheerleaders.”
Whaley’s mother, Wendy Camp, said the signing represents the culmination of years of dedication while also cementing the legacy her daughter leaves behind at Hillsdale.
“I’m just super proud of her for sticking with cheer for as long as she has,” Camp said. “She gives it her all every single time she hits the mat.”
Camp also believes Whaley’s impact will continue long after graduation.
“I feel like she, as even her coach said, is the face of cheer for Hillsdale,” Camp said. “All the little girls look forward to seeing her and look up to her. So I hope that they continue that as she goes to Central.”
As she prepares to leave the program she helped redefine, Whaley hopes younger athletes remember the same message that guided her own journey.
“Just believe in yourself,” she said.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Hillsdale grad Brooklyn Whaley takes cheer career to Central Michigan
Reporting by Joseph Flaherty, Hillsdale Daily News / Hillsdale Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Joseph Flaherty, Hillsdale Daily News | USA TODAY Network
