It was a Thursday after cheer practice, and then 10-year-olds Kyla Kuo (12) and Daisy Shetzer (12) sat in the corner of Wendy’s that they called their own as a weekly tradition. The two laughed over fries dipped in Frosties, recalling a tumbling fail from an hour ago. Though their friendship began as little more than a circumstantial connection, the two soon grew genuinely close.
“We became really close when we did private tumbling lessons together at SoCal TTC [Trampoline, Tumbling & Cheer],” Kuo said. “Even when we weren’t in the same friend groups at school, we were still really close and could talk to each other outside of that.”
Throughout their childhoods, Kuo and Shetzer continued advancing through cheer together, though they were rarely on the same team. In competitive All-Star cheer during middle school and early high school, they frequently traveled together and learned together in private lessons. Shetzer said that taking classes with Kuo and working on the same skills together helped her feel more confident as an athlete.
“There’s somebody to talk to about your [challenges],” Shetzer said. “We were always doing the same skills and we always had opposite problems — I went too high [in a stunt while she went too low] or she went too high [while I went too low]. I would be like, ‘pretend to be me and I’ll pretend to be you.’”
Going into junior year, Shetzer and Kuo decided they would move on from All-Star and audition to join Westview’s team together. They were selected for varsity, and that summer, they decided to train together in preparation. The two needed to learn an entire catalog of new cheers that their future teammates had been practicing for two years. On Thursdays — somewhat like they had six years prior — the two got together and ran cheers for multiple hours. Even though practice was strenuous, having companionship made it something to look forward to.
“We knew that we had each other,” Kuo said. “It was more motivating to do it with someone. We set dates and were like, ‘let’s get through all the offense cheers today.’”
In Westview Cheer, Kuo and Shetzer enjoyed cheering together on the same team for the first time since fifth grade.
“We met new friends together, and being together in the sport that we both love was a lot of fun,” Shetzer said. “I’m glad we got to do that again.”
At the end of their junior year, Shetzer and Kuo tried out to be captains. Along with Jaden Donica (12), they became this year’s varsity captains.
Homecoming, Oct. 13, was an exciting highlight of their senior season: the football team’s first home win in two years.
“It was a really big moment for us,” Shetzer said. “We had planned out the whole day and we made the halftime routine together. We were doing a cheer when they scored their last touchdown, and I remember running up to Kyla and Donnie [Feng (12)] and giving them a big hug because I was really excited. It was very celebratory, and to share that with Kyla was amazing.”
Another special experience was when Kuo and Shetzer returned to their roots for youth night, Sept. 8, for which they ran two practices and then performed at halftime with young cheerleaders.
“We used to be the little kids, and I remember thinking ‘one day I’m going to be the Wolverine cheerleader standing there,’” Shetzer said. “Getting to do that was really full circle, especially doing it with [Kuo] since we used to talk about being the older cheerleaders. We went from being the people learning the dances when we were younger to actually picking the cheers and teaching them as captains.”
Kuo said that being a part of Westview Cheer and being a captain has been a truly rewarding experience.
“I’m really glad that I ended up doing high school cheer, although I was originally thinking about doing All-Star until I graduated,” Kuo said. “It’s a relaxed community, and it made my high school experience more involved. It made me feel more connected and spirited.”
Shetzer said that throughout her friendship with Kuo, she’s always felt safe and supported no matter what the two were going through.
“I knew that she wouldn’t judge me and I could tell her anything, and she would always understand what I was going through,” Shetzer said. “I always felt like she supported whatever decision I made. She’s been my moral compass.”
After being friends for nearly their whole lives, Kuo and Shetzer will be parting ways for the first time this fall. Kuo will be going to college at UC Berkeley, while Shetzer will be attending the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.
Kuo said she has full faith that the two will remain friends despite any ocean that separates them.
“Daisy’s definitely a lifelong friend,” Kuo said. “We’ve done so much together growing up, I know that us being apart isn’t forever.”
