Sue Sitter/PCT Rugby Panthers cheerleaders practice a stunt at cheerleading camp in the Rugby High School gym Aug. 2.

Rugby Panthers cheerleaders got ready for the fall and winter sports season at a cheerleading camp held in the Rugby High School gym on Aug. 2.

The camp, which Coach Ashley Seykora said was mandatory for all squads performing stunts at North Dakota High Schools, took place the day before the first day of cheerleading practice.

“We have all of our football squad and most of our basketball squad here,” she said. “This year, we have really young teams, so this is really good for them.”

Seykora added, “We don’t have any seniors this year. On our football cheer team, we have four juniors, but one is a first-year cheerleader. On basketball, there are no juniors. We have three eighth graders who are cheering for varsity. So, they’re very young, but they’re doing awesome.”

At cheerleading camp and practices, Seykora explained, “They have to do simple stunts to start, then they build (on their skills learned).”

Rugby’s girls’ golf team began practice Aug. 1. The Rugby Panthers football squad held its first day of practice Aug. 4.

Rugby varsity cross country teams will hold their first practice Aug. 8. Volleyball teams will begin practicing Aug. 15, and grades 5 and 6 basketball teams will begin practicing Aug. 25.