Liette sisters share varsity mat

It’s not just that the Liette girls look alike, as sisters often do. The similarities run much deeper than that.
As Alexus and Breea take a break between practicing individual skills, they stand just a few feet apart, both with their elbows out, hands resting just above their hips.
When the squad is listening to coach Abby Champ’s instructions, Cheyenne begins to stretch. Her movements are familiar. She’s like a mini version of her older sisters.
So many little likenesses stand out, from their mannerisms to their speech patterns to their movements. And now they’ve all been brought together as Patriots.
All three Liette girls are now Jay County High School varsity cheerleaders, marking the first time three sisters have been on the same squad in the program’s history.
“It’s been good. There’s a bond there that nobody can touch,” said Champ, whose group will compete Saturday at the Indiana State Fair. “There’s a connection there for those three that nobody else gets.”
That’s the view from the outside looking in.
How has the experience been for the sisters themselves?
“Interesting,” said Alexus.
Good interesting?
“Sometimes,” Cheyenne said.
“It’s fun to be with your sisters, but they get on you more than other teammates would,” Alexus, a senior, continued. “And you get on them easier than you would another teammate.”
That’s an issue the coaching staff addressed from the start. It included giving the Liettes nicknames — Salty (Breea), Chocolate (Alexus) and Peanut (Cheyenne) — and making sure they knew it was the coaches’ job to correct, not theirs.
Still, commenting on each others’ performance came naturally. Doing it constructively is a skill they’ve developed over the summer.
“At the beginning you just nailed them on everything they did wrong and now we just every once in a while will be like, ‘Hey, make sure you keep your legs together, feet together,’” said Breea, a junior. “We’re mostly just harsh on Cheyenne because she’s younger and we expect more from her.”
The youngest of the Liettes has borne the brunt of the criticism from her older sisters, both veterans of the squad. But, Cheyenne, a freshman, acknowledged that Alexus and Breea have helped teach her to keep her body tight and improve her stunting skills.
“They get on me a lot and tell me to do a lot of stuff to make me better,” she said.
On the mat, each Liette serves a distinct role.
Breea is a leader among the tops — the group of girls who are lifted into the air during stunts — and is central to what the Patriots do. It’s a role she’s had since her freshman year.
Though she’s gone in the air in previous years, Alexus is now one of the strongest bases. She’s at the heart of making sure the stunts the squad performs stay stable.
Cheyenne is also a top, though not quite in the spotlight yet like her sister. She performs many of the same stunts, mostly at a 45-degree angle from Breea toward the back-right corner of the mat.
Having the sisters together can be helpful for a routine as well. They provide a look that others can’t, a kind of mirror image. Last season, it was Breea and Alexus filling those roles for the final stunt. This year, it’s Breea and Cheyenne.
“In my opinion, it gives that little lasting impression,” said Champ. “Really the picture itself could almost be folded in half.”
Like their roles on the mat, their personalities are also distinct.
Breea is the intense one. Alexus is laid back.
Cheyenne is a mix of both.
In fact, the coaches say, they’ve all conformed to each other a bit, Breea calming down over the summer, Alexus becoming more of a perfectionist.
It’s all been in an effort to get better, which is the goal for all of the Patriots as they strive for an Indiana State Fair cheerleading title.
Throughout the squad, girls are trying to help each other out with little tips here and there. Senior Samantha Link noted that she can walk up to any of her fellow cheerleaders and offer advice.
“But Alexus, Breea and Cheyenne have that to a whole different level,” she said. “They don’t even have to see it to be able to tell them, ‘Hey, make sure you’re setting up. Make sure you’re pulling your knees over.’ Things like that. … It’s just there. … They don’t even have to watch, because they already know.”
They also know this is it.
Alexus and Breea have cheered together for three years at the high school level. Breea and Cheyenne will have two.
But for all three Liettes, this is a one time only event.
They’d like to celebrate it with a championship, especially for Alexus.
“It’s her last year so we should all put in a lot of effort so we can try to win,” said Cheyenne.
Regardless of place Saturday, sharing the experience will be special.
“I think it’ll be a lot cooler because you’re with your sisters,” said Alexus. “And it’s my last year, so it’s really fun with them.”