Lindsey Matko, a recent graduate of Cave Spring High School, will attend VCU in the fall. She will be cheering with the VCU cheerleading squad, who recently placed second in a National Cheerleading Championship.

Since she was six years old, Lindsey Matko, daughter of Laurie and Tom Matko of Southwest Roanoke County has been putting on a smile and using her outgoing personality to cheer on sports teams. But now she's doing a little personal cheer of her own, celebrating that what she has worked for most of her life, if finally happening.

Matko dreamed of getting into college and cheering at the college level and last April everything was on the line as she tried out for the Virginia Commonwealth University's cheerleading team, which is currently ranked second in the nation.

"Tryouts were pretty intense," Matko said. The coach would bring girls aside and cut them as we went. It was pretty intense."

Her practice over the years paid off and now she will be attending VCU in the fall and cheering along side of fellow VCU Rams.

"I had been working for this my whole life," she said. "This year my first goal was to get into college and then really, just make the cheer squad. I probably decided the schools I was applying to based on their cheerleading team. VCU was the only one that had my major."

Matko has looked up to her uncle, a homicide detective for the city of Richmond for as long as she can remember, which is why she has chosen to study Criminal Justice, Homeland Security. She also considered the University of South Carolina, the University of Tennessee, and Virginia Tech. "When it came down to it I decided to go with VCU."

Matko cheered at Cave Spring High School on the Knights cheerleading squad both competitively and on the sidelines. She made first team all districts all four years at CSHS. But most importantly, Matko cheered and coached for Cheer Storm All-Stars in Roanoke, a travel cheerleading team that competes against other traveling squads.

"I've gone all the way to Dallas, Texas, and Florida. It's a lot different from high school cheering -- a lot more competitive."

Under the direction of Belinda and Lanny West, Matko's coaches at Cheer Storm All-Stars, her team has won national championships multiple times.

She gets the opportunity to coach girls eight to 12 years of age and also coaches a special needs squad.

"It's a really rewarding job, knowing that you are helping them," Matko said. "It's still growing. We had about seven on the team this year, but it was just a great experience. The kids love it and they don't normally get the opportunity to do that kind of stuff. I love working with them. It's who I am and I've worked so hard for it. It's great to know it's finally paid off."

Matko had her first practice with VCU on June 7. She is excited not just about her cheering career, but also getting to know her fellow cheerleaders at VCU and being independent.

"The girls are great. What's really unique about it is that everyone comes in from different places and when we get onto the mat we just blend together.

"All the girls were especially nice and welcoming. I'm just really looking forward to being out on my own and being independent," she said.

This summer Matko will be attending cheer camps and more practices with her new cheer team, but she says she owes it all to her All-Star coaches.

"I really credit them to where I've gotten today. If I didn't have them, I porbably wouldn't be cheering in college today. And of course my parents -- they paid for it."

Southwest Roanoke County girls compete in state gymnastics championships

Roanoke Academy of Gymnastics had 27 girls qualify and compete in the Level 4 State Championships. The local team placed 4th out of 19 teams.

The following girls won the State Champion titles in their age groups:

Madelyn Nichols, age 9 of SW County, Beam

Abigail Janney, age 9 1/4 of Roanoke, Vault

Hannah Childress, age 10 of SW County, Beam

Lauren Ogle, age 10 of Botetourt, Floor

Rebecca Butterworth, age 10 1/3 of SW County, Floor and All Around

Marui Lavinder, age 13 of Franklin County, Bars

All results as follows:

Age 7 1/2:

Aimee Rothschild, of Salem, tie 8th on Vault and 9th on Beam

Age 8:

Breanna Morstad, of SW County, 5th on Beam, 7th on Vault and All Around, 9th on Floor

Madison Griffin, SW County, tie for 9th on Vault

Age 8 1/2:

Ilene Kubik, Vinton, 6th All Around, 9th Beam and Floor

Ashley Johoske, Moneta, 5th Vault, tie 7th on Bars and 8th All Around

Laney Hutchens, Franklin County, tie 7th on Bars, 9th All Around

Gracie Arrington, Moneta, 4th Beam, 8th on Floor

Telia Harris, of Salem, 8th on Vault

Ella Hodson, of SW County, tie 5th on Vault

Kienzle Hilovsky, Roanoke City, tie 5th on Beam

Age 9:

Madelyn Nichols, of SW County, 1st Beam, 3rd Floor and All Around, 4th on Vault and Bars

Age 9 1/4:

Abigail Janney, Roanoke, 1st Vault, tie 2nd on Bars, 3rd on Floor and All Around

Abbey Angel, Botetourt, 4th Bars

Age 9 3/4:

Lauren Winston, SW County, 5th Bars, tie 5th All around, 6th Floor, 7th Beam

Age 10:

Hannah Childress, of SW County, 1st Beam, 3rd All Around, 6th Vault, Bars and Floor

Lejla Alagic, of SW County, 6th All Around, 8th Vault, 9th Bars and Beam and 10th on Floor

Lauren Ogle, of Botetourt, tie 1st Floor, tie 6th Vault, and tie 9th Beam and All Around

Age 10 1/3:

Rebecca Butterworth, of SW County, 1st on Floor and All Around, 6th on Bars

Virginia Stephenson, of SW County, 2nd Floor and tie 2nd Beam and 9th All Around

Morgan Starnes, of SW County, 5th on Beam

Age 10 2/3:

Autumn Harless, of Botetourt, 2nd Vault, 4th All Around, 5th Floor and tie 5th Bars, and 10th Beam

Kari Bishop, of SW County, tie 6th Beam, tie 7th Vault, 8th All Around and tie 9th Bars

Age 11:

Alexis Rhodes, Vinton, 2nd Bars, 4th All Around, 5th Floor, 9th on Beam

Age 13:

Marui Lavinder, Franklin County, 1st Bars, 2nd Floor and All Around, 4th Beam, 5th on Vault

Ashlynn Boothe of Roanoke, Gabrielle Wright of Roanoke City and Bree Davis of Vinton also qualified and competed.