One-time Rivals will be Joining Forces as TopCats

East High graduate, West High graduate picked for squad

By Mark Schulman
Times-News Staff Writer

Two Henderson County women who once cheered for rival high schools have come together to support the same team as Carolina Panthers Topcats.

After weeks of rigorous tryouts, Jenny Baker, a 2007 West Henderson High graduate, and Laura Bebo, a 2007 East Henderson High graduate, were notified last week that they had been selected for the team. Only 25 women are chosen. Baker and Bebo are seniors at UNC-Charlotte and live in the same apartment complex.

At left, Laura Bebo, a 2007 East Henderson High School graduate, and Jenny Baker, a 2007 West Henderson High School graduate, were two of 25 women chosen to be Carolina Panther cheerleaders for the 2011 season.

In only a few months, they will find themselves in front of more than 70,000 spectators at the Bank of America Stadium if the NFL season kicks off this year.

The NFL is currently under a lockout after talks on a new collective bargaining agreement collapsed. The players and the league are currently under mediation, hoping to resolve the issue before the season starts in the fall.

Despite the NFL lockout, Bebo, 22, said the girls are all working hard. She walked into the Topcats’ locker room May 11 during the first practice of the season and saw her nameplate on her locker.

“I started crying,” Bebo said. “We were all so excited.”

Bebo, one of six siblings, was on the dance team at UNC-Charlotte and wanted to continue performing following college.

“I love performing, dancing and football,” the Flat Rock native said. “It was a perfect fit for me.”

The rookie Topcat is nervous and anxious for the day when she, along with the rest of the squad, puts on a show in front of tens of thousands of fans.

“I am looking forward to the moment when I look up at a full stadium,” she said.

Baker is equally excited about earning the prestigious spot on the Topcats roster.

“It is still sinking in,” the 22-year-old said a day after learning that she made the squad.

“I had no idea I was going to make it,” Baker said. “I know I absolutely did my best.”

All the hard work during tryouts in April paid off for Baker, who was previously a cheerleader for the Charlotte Checkers hockey team.

The first test was to perform a dance that she prepared for the audition. The second cut was much more challenging, however. The women were taught a dance in 30 minutes and were allowed just 10 minutes to practice it before performing for the judges.

“That was when I was the most nervous,” Baker said. “You have to be 100-percent focused.”

She is looking forward to many more challenges with the squad.

“This can be a life-changing experience,” Baker said. “I am not only excited about being out there in front of thousands of people, I am excited about being out in the community.”

Despite the lockout, the Topcats will continue to perform and make appearances throughout the Carolinas.

“We are going to keep cheering to make sure fans are having a good time,” Baker said. “The other girls say you will never forget your first day being on the field. I can’t wait to experience that.”