As I was leafing through the pages of the “Fall High School Sports” section in the Sept. 4 Sun Journal, I couldn’t help but notice that cheerleading was not listed for any school.

Speaking not only for my team, but also for teams all across the state, I have to say that cheering is just as much a sport as football, soccer, field hockey and cross country.

We run, do many strength-building activities and do hundreds of crunches every day. We lift our fellow teammates and never, ever have the option to stop trying.

Being one of three captains of the Oxford Hills Vikings cheering team, I was very upset with this lack of recognition. It seems extremely unfair to me, as I’m sure it does to other cheerleaders who should have been acknowledged.

The Sun Journal needs to reconsider and put the cheerleaders where they belong and deserve to be — right next to all the other, thought-to-be tough sports.

Kyleigh Collins, Oxford

Varsity cheering captain, Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School