Ada High School varsity cheerleader Siena Smith got her start in the seventh grade with the spirit squad.

She had done gymnastics when she was young and “cheer was something I thought that I would like,” she said.

“I really enjoyed it,” Smith said, “but my eighth grade year was super busy, so I didn’t cheer that year.”

While most athletes who take a year off from their sport don’t return, Smith persevered and worked back onto the team.

“I cheered for Ada Jr. High in the ninth grade and made the varsity team my sophomore year, and this will be my third and final year on this team,” the senior said. “It was never something I wanted to leave. I just didn’t have time that year. I knew that I wanted to get back into it.”

She stays busy off the sidelines at football games, too. Smith is a member of Ada’s choir and Ada student United Way. Leisure is hard to come by, but she makes it work.

“I spend most of my time either at cheer practice or work, but I love watching some TV in my free time,” Smith said.

Cheering has provided Smith with opportunities and friendships she hasn’t taken for granted.

“Cheer has helped me stay in shape and has given me friendships that will last forever, and that probably has to be my favorite part,” Smith said. “Nothing makes a group closer than struggling together, reaching rock bottom and then coming out on the other side proud of ourselves.”

Smith has been through difficult times herself; In 2019, her brother died. It shook her for a while.

“This was hard for me,” Smith said, “but watching my mom lose a son was even harder. I didn’t know how to comfort her, but we stuck together and came out on the other side.”

In the time that’s passed, Smith’s relationship with her mother has blossomed as she’s developed new approaches to life.

“We are closer than ever! She is my best friend and the person I look up to most,” Smith said. “It really helped me to be graceful to others. You never know what someone is going through.” After she graduates, Smith hopes to be remembered and spoken of by her teammates “in the best way.” “I want to leave a good mark on Ada cheer and also Ada High,” Smith said.

Smith plans to major in biology at the University of Oklahoma and later attend OU Dental School and earn certification in orthodontics.