She Plays | Spring 2022

SHE PLAYS

SPRING 2022

STAYING HUMBLE IN THE SPOTLIGHT PAGE 16

Plus

From THE NETHERLANDS to OXFORD PAGE 4

The rigorous routine of a student athlete PAGE 22

TIME MANAGEMENT OF AN OLE MISS CHEERLEADER PAGE 25

Spring 2022 | Issue 1 DESIGN & WRITING Kylie Bowers Haley Clift Kylie Cockrell Abby Hamelton Sydney Ray Allie Watson FACULTY ADVISER Cynthia Joyce GRADUATE ADVISER MacKenzie Ross

L to R, back row: Kylie Cockrell, Abby Hamelton, Sydney Ray, front row: Kylie Bowers, Allie Watson, Haley Clift ON THE COVER: Channing Foster driving the ball down the field. Leading to a 2-1 win over South Carolina. Photo by Josh McCoy, Ole Miss Athletics She Plays Magazine is a project created by students in Journalism 401: Magazine Service Journalism, part of the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media.

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AT HOME ON THE COURT Almost 4,500 miles from her hometown in the Netherlands, Elysia Pool has found her place in Oxford playing tennis for the Ole Miss Rebels.

By Kylie Cockrell

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Photos by Josh McCoy, Ole Miss Athletics

Elysia Pool chats with Coach Mark Beyers before an indoor match. Beyers recruited Pool after seeing her play in the Netherlands.

A

t y pical day in the life of sophomore studentathlete Elysia Pool may seem demanding, and she’ll agree. The work is “hard,” she says,”but rewarding.”

Her daily routine goes something like this: She wakes up before 7 a.m. to practice for an hour before quickly exchanging her racket for her book bag. She sprints to her 9 a.m. class across campus, which starts in 10 minutes.

After class, she races back to the court to begin another hour of practice. And it isn’t even noon.

“It’s a lot to balance, and it’s hard,” she says. “It still is at times.”

Even though she came to America in 2020 as the top-ranked player from the Netherlands, the transition wasn’t easy. She didn’t learn English until high school and moved to America just a couple of years later.

“At my high school,” she says, “everyone has a sport, whether it be tennis, field hockey, whatever, and the next step is either to go pro in Europe or go to America.

And I knew I wanted to go to America.”

During the season, the team

travels to away matches about three times a month. If the players are to keep up with their schoolwork, it requires a huge commitment. Pool admits it’s often hard separating school and her sport.

“Sometimes I have to do my work over a week in advance,” Pool says. “I think the hardest thing is when you have to play a match, and you want to put all of your mind in the match, but then you have all this homework due.”

Pool experienced severe culture shock when she arrived in America.

Adjusting to life in Mississippi was challenging because the people, food and culture were so different from her hometown of Wezep in the Netherlands.

“The Netherlands is my favorite place,” she says. “I love America, but I know I want to end up back there after college.”

What she misses most is just being at home with friends and family.

“Some days it’s so hard and hectic here, and I just want to sit down on the couch with my parents and siblings and chill.

Here, it’s like you’re in a different

world sometimes.”

Pool says her connection with the other seven international players was almost instant when she arrived from overseas.

“We have had this relationship since the very beginning and we help each other out a lot, because we all know how hard it can be.”

Pool says that while tennis is an individual sport, everyone on the team supports one another and wants to help everyone perform better as a team.

“I love traveling to different schools with my teammates because we’re all there for each other. A big win for one of them is a win for all of us.”

That support applies off the court, as well: Pool’s roommate and best friend, Kelsey Mize, is from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and one of only two Americans on the team.

She lent Pool a car to travel around Oxford.

“I remember finding it so weird how people travel here,” Pool says.

“In the Netherlands, we have trains and other transportation. I could be in another country in Europe in 30 minutes, but it takes hours to just get to a new state in America.”

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Pool admits she still struggles driving through all the roundabouts in Oxford. “They’re just so confusing,” she says.

Women’s tennis head coach Mark Beyers, who has been coaching the Rebels for nearly two decades, is also from the Netherlands. He came to the United States in 1987 to play college tennis at Armstrong Atlantic State in Savannah, Georgia. Now he travels thousands of miles every year recruiting for the team, which includes players from France, Norway, Hungary and Czechia.

After Beyers saw Pool play a match in the Netherlands in December 2019, he immediately invited her to visit Ole Miss. She came to Oxford for the first time in January 2020 and moved eight months later.

Though the process was somewhat interrupted by COVID and the strict restrictions in the

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Netherlands, Pool credits Beyers for making her transition as smooth as possible.

“It’s crazy to think about how much and where he’s traveled to,” Pool says. “I know how much he did while recruiting me, and I can’t imagine what all he’s done for the other players.”

With so many players coming from around the world, Pool believes it gives the Rebels an edge other schools may not have.

She says she also appreciates that Beyers can relate to how hard it is being “the new guy” in a new place so far from home.

One of Pool’s biggest challenges so far came last year. She was forced to sit on a bench after injuring her lower back and watch her teammates play the game she loves.

“Some days I felt my back was better enough to play, but some days I could barely stand up straight,” she says. After months of

daily physical therapy and exercise, she was cleared to play again and hasn’t had any problems since.

Maybe that’s why Pool’s greatest memory playing for the Rebels so far “isn’t this huge moment like you think it would be.” She says it’s being able to play every day with her teammates, travel to games and attend practice and workouts.

Going into this spring season, Pool hopes to build on her 4-1 record and continue to grow as a player.

For Pool, the competition is the best part of the game.

“Even when you play an easy opponent, it’s still hard,” she says.

“Walking onto the court before a match, it’s a battle you have to win.”

@elysiapool @olemisswtennis

Pool delivers a forehand in a doubles match against Georgia and Alabama.

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REBELETTE RED MORE THAN JUST A UNIFORM

By Haley Clift

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I

t’s game day in Oxford, and the energy is high. The Pride of the South Band plays, and Coach Lane Kiffin leads his team down the Walk of Champions to VaughtHemingway Stadium. The Grove is a sea of red and navy blue, cornerto-corner with tailgate tents and ecstatic students and fans.

In the middle of everything are the Ole Miss Rebelettes to cheer the crowds on.

“I love every part of game day, from walking around the Grove to interacting with fans, to performing in the Grove Show,” said Morgan Murphy, a third-year Rebelette.

“It’s a long day, but there’s just so much energy in that stadium, and it is just so exciting to cheer on the best team in the Southeastern Conference, Ole Miss.”

The Rebelettes are the official dance team at the University of Mississippi under Ole Miss Athletics and the Pride of the South Band.

Said Rachel Levetzow, the Ole Miss director of Spirit Squads and the Rebelettes’ head coach: “The Rebelettes used to be Twirlers many, many moons ago. When we became a part of Athletics, we didn’t want to break the connection we had with the band.”

Murphy noted, “Many people don’t know that we are a part of the band in addition to being a part of Athletics, so that means

we also practice and perform with the Pride of the South.” This means the team does its Grove Show and pregame, and halftime performances with the Pride of the South.

“We get to form a bond with the band, which really helps to unify everything that we do on game day,” Murphy said.

Like all student-athletes, the Rebelettes devote their time to their sport. “Every day is different,” Murphy said. A week’s practices include early morning strength and conditioning workouts at Swayze Field, afternoon dance practices at the Tad Pad, weekly band practices at the band field and home-field practices before home games.

“Before each game, our team captains select which uniform we will wear from our 12 uniforms,” Murphy said. “The uniform isn’t complete without the signature Rebelette Red Semi-Matte Lipstick

by Kismet Cosmetics. Each Rebelette receives her own tube upon joining the team.”

Though the uniforms are glamorous, there is so much more going on behind the scenes. What may look effortless on the field takes hours upon hours of practice daily to refine and perfect each performance, appearance and game day.

“It’s more of a mental game for

them than it is a physical one,” Levetzow said.

Each Rebelette athlete must also be prepared on the Ole Miss traditions and the SEC as a whole.

“Athletics are like the front porch of the University,” Levetzow said.

“A college game day could be the first experience for a visitor at a university.”

Student-athletes serve as ambassadors for the University of

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Rebelette Morgan Murphy

Mississippi. With the school letters embroidered across their uniform chests, Rebelettes are walking billboards for Ole Miss and Ole Miss Athletics.

“We know when we interact with fans that we are prepared to answer any questions that a fan could ask us,” Murphy said. “We have game day evaluations every week which evaluates choreography material, yard lines, dance counts, and we also must maintain our grade point averages each semester.”

The Tradition Test is the final requirement to join the Rebelette team. The test includes information about the University of Mississippi, the Ole Miss mascot and other Ole Miss traditions. As a part of the traditions test, the coach said, the girls must also know their SEC counterparts’ information. “Then, 10

when someone asks an off-the-wall question, you’re, like, ‘Oh my gosh, I know the answer to that,’ and it’s kind of amazing.”

Beyond game days, Rebelettes can be found in and out of classrooms, running between meetings for their different involvements or grabbing a bite to eat at the sorority house.

The Rebelettes also give back to the community. Levetzow said each Rebelette goes the extra mile to find time in her schedule to make appearances at whatever opportunity arises, whether it is a University or a community event.

Those activities include appearances at churches, elementary schools, EMPOWER, car drop-offs, assisted living homes, Palmer Tailgate, CASA Fun Run, Big Event, Rebelthon,

Unified Egg Bowl with ROTC and Reading with the Rebs.

“Really, it just depends what time of day it is,” Levetzow said. “I tell the girls, ‘If you can do it, then do it. But, if you have a test, study for your test.’ These opportunities are awesome, though, because they really span across our own community to the statewide level.”

The Rebelettes are so much more than game day cheerleaders.

They are athletes who encourage one another to be the best version of themselves. Murphy said, “Being surrounded by positive women— and my best friends—has truly turned me into a better person.”

@olemissrebelettes

Photos courtesy of the Ole Miss Rebelettes

Rebelette Bradford Stewart

11

Player Spotlight:

Julia Johnson

The senior golfer from Louisiana is dominating on the course and in the classroom, but what are her thoughts going into her last year as a collegiate athlete?

J

ulia Johnson earned national attention last year after helping the Ole Miss Women’s Golf team win its first national championship, and now she’s looking ahead to her final season as a college athlete.

The All-SEC golfer recently shared some of her thoughts about the title, NIL deals, playing with teammates from around the world and her plans for going pro.

Q: In an interview on May 9, 2021, with Chase Parham from RebelGrove.com, you said “It’s been nice to have more respect now, to be expected to be contenders.” Your team went on to win the national championship just over two weeks later. Did you feel then that the recognition you were waiting for had finally come?

A: It just felt like no matter what we did, we were still viewed as underdogs. We were still viewed as a team to count out… I never truly felt like we had it until the national championship.

But I think that we are a team 12

By Abby Hamelton that people think that even if we’re not playing our best, we can come out and win a tournament any time we play in it. Myself and my team have all worked really hard to get to that point; it’s taken five years to actually get the respect we feel we deserve. It’s a different vibe this year, for sure.

a good team atmosphere and a good team vibe, and everyone has a little bit more fun.

Q: How important do you think it is as a collegiate athlete to believe in your team as much as you do yourself?

A: The issue with that is a lot of my teammates are European, and the way their visas work is, they can’t do it. I’ll deal with American companies, but a lot of my teammates don’t even have the ability to do [NIL deals].

But my teammates are very supportive of me. They never really get frustrated if I’m doing interviews, because they know I’m doing it for the team and I care about the wellbeing of everyone involved. They’ve never, I don’t think, expressed resentment for anything. I’m grateful for that.

A: I think it’s really important.

I’ve seen some really good teams either not make it to the postseason or make it and just flop because they’re playing individually, and they’re not playing for one another. They don’t believe in each other and I think that’s vital.

I think when you get to those postseason tournaments, if you don’t believe in every single one of your teammates going out there and playing their hearts out, then I don’t think you’re going to make it very far in the postseason.

I think it’s important, and it creates

Q: Do you think the effort of the team will increase with the NIL deals and sponsorships that are now being offered to collegiate athletes?

Q: You currently have sponsorships with White Wallace Watches and Regymen Fitness.

Have you received any more offers?

Photos by Petre Thomas, Ole Miss Athletics

Julia Johnson competes in the Arnold Palmer Cup in Sugar Grove, Illinois.

The competition showcases 24 male and female collegiate golfers.

A: I got a bigger offer from Walk-Ons, because we’re running a Walk-Ons in Oxford. I’m kind of going to be like an ambassador for them and wear their merchandise in a tournament over the winter break.

So that will be my first really big one.

Q: Is there a particular NIL deal that you are interested in receiving? If so, why?

A: I’m open to anything. I don’t want to take offers just to take them. I want to make sure it fits my vibe. I’m open to anything right now, I guess. Especially with the season ending, I feel like I’m going to put a little bit more focus on doing more deals like that.

Q: In previous interviews,

you mentioned that you were begging Coach Kory Henkes to bring you on the Ole Miss team after visiting here. What was it about Ole Miss that impressed you the most and made you decommit from LSU? A: I came to Ole Miss when I was a junior in high school and I just fell in love. I just loved it. I loved the atmosphere here. I grew up in Baton Rouge, which is a super big city and it is just not a college town … it’s the capital of the state.

I really wanted something different and new. Ole Miss wasn’t in a great spot, and I had a bunch of offers from other SEC schools. It wasn’t necessarily a beg as much as, “OK, it’s really late in the recruiting process. I know you have a lot of money locked up in other places,

can you please find a spot for me?”

Thank goodness it worked out. I talked to Coach Kory like once and realized how disciplined she was, her aspirations for our team—it’s hard to not want to be a part of it whenever you talk to her about stuff like that. It was pretty easy to make that decision.

Q: Since a majority of the golf team isn’t originally from the United States, what’s it like playing with such a diverse group of young women?

A: It’s a learning curve. I think it’s been a blessing for me.

Americans get very focused, and we don’t think that there’s an outside world outside of the United States…to learn about other cultures, and how people 13

Julia Johnson stopping to take it all in at the Augusta National in March of 2021.

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Julia Johnson after placing runner-up individually in the 2019 SEC championship.

are raised differently and what makes people different, it’s so special to me. I have appreciated every moment of it. My teammates are my best friends here and it’s nice to be able to say I have best friends in Sweden and Switzerland and all over the world. I think that it’s really cool and it’s very eye-opening.

Q: What made you decide to stay and play another year with the Ole Miss team after winning last year?

A: I really wanted a senior year. I really wanted to go to football games and to have that experience. Since last year,

we really weren’t able to do anything else other than just normal students because we couldn’t risk getting COVID prevaccine. I wanted to enjoy my last year, to go to football games as a student.

Q: What are the goals you have in mind for your golf career in the next five years?

A: I think I’m like 90% positive I will go pro at the end of this year. Next summer will kind of be my professional debut.

I’m not live-or-die going pro, like I can take or leave going pro. That’s not the case for

some people. Some people will spend 10 years of their life trying to go pro. I think that for me, I definitely want to try it and I want to say that I’ve done it and that I could do it. If I don’t make it after two or three years, I feel like I’m excited for the next chapter of my life, too. I’ve played golf legitimately for 19, almost 20 years of my life. So I’m excited to go pro and I’m excited for that chapter, but I’m also excited for the chapter after.

@juliaclairejoh

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Channing Foster drives the ball down the field, leading to a 2-1 win over South Carolina. Photo by Josh McCoy, Ole Miss Athletics

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STAYING FOCUSED IN THE SPOTLIGHT Rebel soccer stars Channing Foster, Molly Martin and Lonnie Mulligan share words of wisdom with athletes, fans and future players on being a female athlete, NIL and taking care of your mental health.

By Kylie Bowers

L

onnie Mulligan, Channing Foster and Molly Martin had no idea when they stepped onto the University of Mississippi's soccer field that such a bright spotlight would land on them.

Ole Miss Women’s Soccer has been around only since 1995, but that has not stopped the team from reaching greatness. These three women have represented the women’s soccer team well, bringing much success to the program for almost four years.

Foster, from Murray, Kentucky, was recently named First Team All-SEC, which makes her the first ever five-time All-SEC honoree. Martin, from Memphis, made second team All-SEC. And Mulligan, from Hattiesburg, worked her way back onto the field this season after a devastating ACL and MCL injury took her out of the game for a whole season. She chronicled her tough road to recovery on Instagram, and in the process has become an important voice for Black athletes and anyone

struggling with mental health challenges.

All of these women serve as “big sisters” to young girls who hope to one day follow in their footsteps. They recently offered insight on how to navigate being a female athlete and how to care for your mental health while competing on the field. Foster was recently awarded First Team All-SEC, which makes her the first ever five-time all-SEC honoree.

Martin was also awarded second team all-SEC. Mulligan made her way back onto the field this season after a devastating ACL and MCL injury took her out of the game for a whole season.

She chronicled her tough road to recovery on Instagram, and in the process has become an important voice for Black athletes and anyone struggling with mental health challenges.

Q: What does it mean to you to be a woman in sports?

A: Foster: Nowadays there are so many more opportunities

for female athletes than there used to be. I am getting to play at a D1 school, showing the little girls back home that there is a possibility to keep going and play.

You don’t have to be from a big city. It is just really cool to be in a place where, when I was little, I looked up so much to the girls that were having opportunities that we are having now.

A: Mulligan: I think coming from Mississippi and playing a sport that is not as popular in the state—just reminding and showing younger girls… you can be from a small town or smaller state or a big state, you still have the power, like Channing said, to make a difference in your sport.

So that is near to my heart.

Q: Were there female athletes you looked up to either specifically in soccer or in any other sport?

A: Foster: My favorite player kind of varied when I moved to different positions. I usually 17

“It is spreading awareness for you as an athlete and your team and women’s sports as a whole, to show that we can be just as [easily] promoted as men’s sports."

- MOLLY MARTIN

Molly Martin moving the ball up field. Leading to a 2-1 win over South Carolina.

Photo by Josh McCoy, Ole Miss Athletics

watched whoever I was playing in their position. Some of my favorite players are Rose Lavelle, who was named the sixth-best player in the world, and two-time World Cup Champion Carli Lloyd.

A: Mulligan: In the soccer community, there were not a lot of professional black soccer players when I was younger, so Sydney Leroux who was one of the black soccer players on the national team when I was growing up. She played the same position as me, so that was a specific person I gravitated towards watching.

Q: How does it feel to know that little girls could be looking up to you now?

A: Mulligan: I think building relationships outside of the game, and having them support us, makes our opportunities look attainable for them. I feel like that is important, too, to know that we made it here and there is an opportunity for you to do the same.

A: Martin: Seeing all the little girls running up in their Ole 18

Miss soccer shirts and screaming your name—and at games they are trying to get your attention in the middle of the game for you to come give them a highfive—it just makes you feel like everything you have been doing for the past four years truly matters and makes a difference, and that you are inspiring little girls to work harder in their sports or to dream bigger.

NIL SPELLS EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES Foster and Martin both recently received a NIL deal from Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, which recently opened a location in Oxford on University Avenue. A mutual friend helped connect them to the company through MatchPoint Connection, an app that connects social media influencers and athletes to brands for influencer marketing and brand awareness.

Foster and Martin were eager to discuss the effect of NIL among female athletes and share some words of advice to other athletes considering NIL deals.

WHO IS OLIVIA DUNNE?

Olivia Dunne has over 5.7 million followers in total on TikTok and Instagram and is predicted to become one of the most popular female athletes of this generation.

Dunne has embraced her role as a female athlete influencer and recently accepted her first NIL deal with Vuori, an active wear brand.

In September of 2021 an interview with Forbes, Dunne states, “Nothing has changed at all with my social media. I take it very seriously, and I keep it clean.

And mostly I just want to be a role model to young girls.

I want to set a good example, and I want to send out a message that we’re more than just our sport.”

Q: Any advice you would give to other athletes trying to receive a NIL deal?

Lonnie Mulligan going in for a huge kick against Vanderbilt. Photo by Bruce Newman.

A: Martin: Don’t be afraid to reach out to companies, because both the athletes and the companies are new to this.

Everyone is still trying to figure out the ropes. Reach out to your favorite companies to receive products, to promote, or to even see if the company is willing to work [with you] at all. Because a lot of companies are excited to jump into the whole NIL deals just as much as the athletes are.

A: Foster: The educational piece can be a huge part of it.

Just being in the loop of all the guidelines and making sure you are aware of all the different rules.

Make sure you don’t overstep anything or do anything to harm your ineligibility or create any problems for your school. Make sure you are all on the same page and following all the rules.

Q: What effect do you think NIL will have on sports and female athletes?

A: Martin: think if NIL is used correctly, it can be really beneficial to athletes and maybe even female athletes more because, obviously, female athletes don’t get as much attention as male athletes do. To receive brand deals and work with big companies—it is spreading awareness for you as an athlete and your team and women’s sports as a whole, to show that we can be just as easily promoted as men’s sports.

A: Foster: There are a lot of places where female athletes have huge followings on social media and brands really want to be able to reach that new area…I know that a

gymnast at LSU [Olivia Dunne] has an insane following, so people like that are really taking advantage of these deals…I think it opens up so many different avenues also beside the big-name quarterbacks.

LONNIE MULLIGAN’S TRIUMPH OVER INJURY Mulligan’s success is rooted in something that she never thought would occur in her soccer career.

Mulligan tore her ACL, meniscus

and MCL in October 2020. She never thought that an injury that challenged her physically and mentally over a year ago would help to inspire others. But her story of transformation, shared daily with more than 4,000 followings via her Instagram posts, has gone well beyond the game of soccer.

Two years ago, Mulligan created a Fitness and Health Instagram account called Loni Fit, where she promised she would hold herself accountable on her diet, workout routine, and fitness test goals. At first, Mulligan kept the account 19

private, but she later decided to share her content after hearing how it was inspiring others. She now uses the account to share recipes and advice on topics such as switching up workout routines and maintaining better mental health.

With the support of her

Ole Miss Soccer vs Texas A&M on September 19th, 2020 at the Ole Miss Soccer Complex. Photo by Josh McCoy, Ole Miss Athletics 20

teammates and a sports psychologist, she officially has been cleared to return to the field. Her main as a student at Ole Miss is to create a more inclusive environment for Black studentathletes and to bring a voice to those struggling with mental health problems.

Q: I’ve seen your Instagram called Loni Fit. What or who inspired you to create this account?

A: Mulligan: A lot of people don’t see all the not-pretty things about being a college athlete.

But I also wanted to encourage others to take care of their body and have better relationships with food, and that’s something really important to me. And that’s why I became public after achieving that short-term goal [for myself].

Q: What would your advice

be for other athletes on how to better prevent injuries and take care of your body?

A: Mulligan: Take care of your mental health previously to something traumatic happening because if you are betterequipped to handle things you don’t expect, it will help the process a lot more.

Q: What do you see yourself accomplishing in the next few months and years on campus?

A: Mulligan: The Black Student-Athlete council is a committee that me and another track athlete [Tedreauna Britt] created to make a more inclusive space in our athletic community, and [it’s] impacting other underrepresented groups in our community. So that is really important to me, because when you are a student-athlete, you don’t always have time to join university organizations and stuff that you can impact directly. But when you have a platform, it is even easier to reach people and impact them in a positive light.

MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS Dr. Josie Nicholson, the counseling and sports psychologist for the Athletic Department, treated Mulligan after her ACL injury. Mulligan credits her with getting her through the challenging physical recovery.

Dr. Nicholson joined Ole Miss Athletics Health and Sport Performance Staff in 2012 and since then has helped bring mental health awareness to the campus. She is a licensed psychologist who specializes in sport performance. Her

podcast Unit3d has prompted conversations, including some with the NCAA, about making mental health services more accessible and how that promotes conversations.

Q: Do you think athletes like Simon Biles and Naomi Osaka—or even athletes here at Ole Miss—speaking out about mental health struggles is having an impact?

A: Nicholson: Anytime someone that we look up to or we relate to or we think has preconceived notions about their status speaks out, I think it raises awareness, but it also grants a permission to say, “Hey, we are humans, you are human – let’s do this human thing and take care of it.”

Q: What can we as students and other athletes do to help bring awareness to mental health to our campus?

A: Nicholson: Talking about having struggles and what they are doing to take care of themselves, reaching out for support is just as important as giving support because when you reach out for support you give permission to that other person that you can be somebody that they can turn to when they are struggling.

@lon.fit @channingfoster @mollymartin33 @officialolemisssoccer

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REBEL WELLNESS THE RIGOROUS ROUTINE OF A STUDENT ATHLETE Workouts and diet equal success for Ole Miss track star Lauren Hoselton

Photo courtesy of Lauren Hoselton

By Sydney Ray

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D

edication is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about an Ole Miss athlete. Lauren Hoselton, a javelin thrower on the track team, is no exception. On the track, she exhibits pure strength and a strong work ethic, making her an excellent athlete. She attributes her success

to her rigorous workout routine and strict diet.

Hoselton grew up in El Paso,Texas, where sports were a huge part of her life. She never planned on joining an athletic team at Ole Miss, but felt as if something in her life was missing.

During her freshman year, she had all the time in the world to

do whatever she pleased, but the following year she decided to do something to fill the void in her life.

Hoselton joined the Ole Miss track team on a whim after being convinced by her cousin that she would be a perfect candidate for javelin, even though she had never thrown javelin in her life.

“I walked up to the coach and basically asked if I could join the team,” she says.

It wouldn’t come easy, though.

Her coach gave her a semesterlong tryout where she had to put in just as much work as the team but without being on the official roster.

She had to earn her way onto the team by working vigorously nonstop. Finally, after proving herself for a whole semester, she was officially on the team in the spring. She went from having barely any commitments to dedicating most of her time to her team. Besides school, she said, “Track is the No. 1 priority... always.”

Photo by Sydney Ray

SEALING THE NIL DEAL On July 1, the state of Mississippi passed a new law that allows student athletes to accept brand deals using their name, image and likeness. Recently, Hoselton accepted her first partnership with the Graduate Hotels.

After staying at Graduate Hotels while traveling for track meets, she decided it was the perfect fit for her. By accepting this NIL deal, she receives 30% off all of her stays at the hotel. She also receives other perks like discounts at the two restaurants located in the hotel.

She recently posted to her Instagram account, which has a following of 5,255 people, about her recent stay at the Graduate 23

Ole Miss

LAUREN’S WEIGHT TRAINING ROUTINE - Hang Cleans 3x8 - Hang snatches 3x8 - Deadlifts 3x8 - RDL 3x8 - Dumbbell Press 3x6 - Back squat 3x8

Hotel here in Oxford. According to her Instagram stories, when she arrived at the hotel, she was greeted with an array of goodies that the employees left for her in her room.

On top of all of the goodies, which included snacks and merchandise, she also showed off her room, which looked like the perfect spot for a quick staycation. But it wasn’t all relaxation.

In her following post she was on the rooftop bar enjoying a glass of wine while doing her homework. (Even when Hoselton relaxes, she doesn’t totally relax.)

Along with her most recent NIL deal, Hoselton is looking into accepting more brand deals that she feels are beneficial to her image and reflect things that are important to her.

“You don’t want to promote something that you don’t care about,.” she says.

HEALTHY HABITS Having a healthy diet and workout routine is crucial for student athletes to succeed.

Hoselton’s healthy lifestyle is built on intense workout routines and 24

a strict diet. She spends roughly 20 hours a week building muscle and training.

Before the season even starts, the coaches schedule practice days that are optional for the team to participate in. But, according to Hoselton, everyone goes “because we all want to get better.”

When the official season does start, it’s mandatory that the team practices 4 1/2 hours a day, five days a week. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, the team does more technical work for their positions from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.. These days are used to practice and perfect their skills for their positions on the team, like javelin and pole vault. On Friday, she lifts and conditions for roughly 90 minutes. On shorter days, they do something called “8-200s” in which they have to run 200 meters a total of eight times.

A CLEAN DIET Because their practices and workouts are so tough conditioning-wise, Hoselton likes to steer clear of anything and

everything fried and unhealthy.

She explained that the whole team all mutually knows that eating cleaner is the most beneficial to their bodies after working out as much as they do.

On a normal day, Hoselton stays pretty consistent on what she eats.

In the morning, she usually settles with a plain bagel and a granola bar, although she will sometimes eat at Chick-fil-a for breakfast.

For lunch, she’s usually too busy to sit down and have a proper meal, so she goes for something fast and portable like grapes, protein balls or a smoothie.

Throughout the day, she sips on her beloved Propel drink that she absolutely raved about.

“Electrolytes really do matter a ton for everyone.”

Around dinner time, she sticks to the basics, which are chicken, broccoli and rice. As boring and simple as it sounds, she promises that it’s all about the protein.

“I try to eat as much protein as possible.”

@lohoselton

BRIANNA BERRY DOES IT ALL Berry, though busy as a bee, makes it all work with the use of a little time management.

By Allie Watson

Photos courtesy of Brianna Berry 25

O

ne Friday evening this football season, 21-year-old University of Mississippi cheerleader Brianna Berry was getting ready to make an appearance at the annual Ole Miss Homecoming Parade.

Berry is in her fourth year on the Ole Miss all-girl cheerleading team. She’s a familiar face on the Ole Miss campus. In a time crunch or not, she always finds the time to help make her peers feel as though they belong. She draws a crowd, provides a shoulder to cry on, shares a laugh and provides free entertainment. She’s the life of the party on and off the field.

“Not only are we the all-girls team but the cheer programs are so underrated as well,” she says.

The cheer teams, dating back to 1912, are generally overlooked as athletes and often overshadowed by the football team.

Berry is no stranger to early mornings. Depending on the day, she wakes between 5:15 a.m. and 6:15 a.m. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Berry wakes at 6:15 a.m. She has the class time that many students dread—an 8 a.m. though she is not too bothered by it—and she is in class until 12:50. She then has cheer practice at 1 p.m.

After practice concludes, during a typical week, she has meetings for the many organizations she is involved in. In the evenings, Berry studies for her classes, whether at the FedEx student-athlete study area or her home. That is when she completes any homework and does any catch-up assignments.

As a biology major, Berry does not shy away from difficult classes.

She recently completed her graduate school interviews and plans to attend dental school after graduating this May. Berry is equally as passionate about entering the dental field as 26

she is about cheer.

“To me, dentistry is the beginning of every systematic issue in the body,” she says. “It is the first indicator of massive health issues in the body.

“But really overall, for me, it is the creativity and community that drew me to dentistry. You are always a student in dentistry and are being pushed to grow and learn of new advancements.

You are also surrounded by a family both with your patients and employees.”

Berry considers Tuesdays and Thursdays to be her “good” days.

On these mornings, she wakes at 5:15 a.m. Each Tuesday the cheer team has 6 a.m. workouts.

Afterward, she has one class: histology, which she describes as an upper-level biology class.

“Not many people take it as it is a more difficult course, but I like it because it has six people in it and it allows us to have a more personal relationship with our teacher.”

free time, she often finds herself playing Gilmore Girls. “It is something you can play in the background. I can listen to it, but I do not have to watch every episode to understand what is going on. I can still get the gist of it.”

Her life tends to consist of “cheer, school, student organizations, going to sleep, waking up and doing it all over again.”

The cheer team has its own personal trainer, nutritionist and physical therapist at its disposal.

Berry is required to work out two times a week at 6 a.m. and to visit the nutritionist once a week for a lesson on eating healthy and the importance of supplying her body with the proper nutrients.

When she is not at practice or in class, Berry serves on the board of directors for RebelTHON at the University. RebelTHON is a charity event that raises money for Children’s of Mississippi, the state’s only children’s hospital.

“I do not know really know myself without it.”

- BRIANNA BERRY A student ambassador for the University, she typically gives two or three tours to potential students at 2 p.m. and then can use the rest of her day catching up on school work.

“I typically like to do assignments one week in advance, and then I submit everything for that week on Monday, and then start the following week’s project so that way if I ever run into a pickle, I have some buffer room because I am so busy.”

Rather than sitting back and binging Netflix in her limited

As the director of morale, she oversees the 30 Morale Captains and choreographs the morale dance, which is right up her alley.

She also edits the music, helps with social media and coordinates the outreach and participation of new members.

Berry admits that many of her teammates have more of a true social life than she does, but she would not change a thing.

“So my social life looks very different from the rest of the team. For me, a lot of the people I hang out with are either the cheer

Brianna Berry cheering at an Ole Miss game.

team or are people involved in the same student organizations.

My social life, which sounds crazy, typically comes from my meetings when I see people or when I am socializing before tours, or when I am at practice.”

Berry says that though it is possible to have a social life on the cheer team, she prefers to have a lot on her plate and has never considered leaving or even taking a break from cheering.

“I have developed so many long-lasting relationships and it has been part of my life for the past 15 years. I do not really know myself without it.”

“I do not really know myself without it.”

Cheering on the sidelines at away games is much different than cheering on the sidelines in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

The location of the away game dictates whether the weekend will consist of a “day-trip version or a stay-the-night version.”

Most of the away games are day trips, which the University of Mississippi Athletics encourages so that athletes do not have to miss Friday classes. Though it may be unknown to some, student-athletes are required to maintain their grades. Just like Greek organizations on campus, athletes are required to maintain a 2.5 GPA, and the Athletics Department offers incentives to help encourage athletes.

Surprisingly, the cheer team is discouraged from interacting with opposing fans at away games because it is important they stay safe and in the zone.

“Literally, the Alabama game was like a big movie. They told

us to not talk to anyone when we went in.”

As for the cheer team’s trademark look that takes hours to perfect: Berry has to wear pearl earrings, red lipstick, false eyelashes or eyelash extensions, and a hair bow. She can choose to wear her hair up or down.

As for the outfits, they each have seven uniforms.

“We usually wear the same color as the football team each week.”

@berry.berry.good @olemisscheer

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Photo courtesy of the Ole Miss Rebelettes