CHEERING AHEAD - NRHEG Cheerleader Madison Bogue signed a letter of intent on March 19 to join the cheerleading team at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Pictured with her are family members who attended the signing. Seated at front are Madison's father, Aaron; Madison; and her mother, Sara. Standing (from left), are her aunt, Jenna Carlson; cousin Avary Pagel; grandmother Chris Carlson; aunt Katie Pagel; and aunt Michelle Gade. Star Eagle photo by Deb Bently
NRHEG Cheerleader to join Mankato Mavericks
Thu, 03/26/2026 - 12:15am
NRHEG Cheer captain Madison Bogue signed a letter of intent on March 19 to join the Minnesota State University, Mankato Mavericks Cheer team for the 2026-’27 academic year. Dozens of classmates, teammates and family members attended the event. NRHEG activities director Dan Stork commented during the signing that it was good to see so many people there, since Madison had provided them so much support on their various fields of competition over her nine years as a member of NRHEG Cheer.
Madison has acquired a lengthy list of accomplishments in her chosen field. She is a two-time Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) All American Cheerleader and has earned both All-State Sideline and All-State Competition honors. As a member of the NRHEG Cheer team, she has earned state champion honors three times and attended the UCA national championships three times, including being part of the 2024 team that placed 8th at nationals.
Madison says she considered two colleges as she made her decisions for her post-secondary education to become an athletic trainer: MSU Mankato and Gustavus Adolphus. She says Mankato became the school of choice because it has a strong program for her career interests, and offers many opportunities to be involved on campus. “Overall,” she explains, “it felt like the right place for me to grow academically, socially, and as a cheerleader.”
Asked about her experiences at NRHEG, Madison said, “The NRHEG Cheer program has prepared me for college cheer by teaching me teamwork, time management, and a strong work ethic through practices, games, and competitions. It has also helped me develop leadership, responsibility, and communication skills that will be important both on a college team and in the classroom.
“Overall, the program has prepared me not only to be a college cheerleader, but also to be a responsible and involved college student.”
She says the role of a college cheerleader is to support athletic teams by leading crowd chants, performing routines, and helping create a high-energy game atmosphere; they also serve as ambassadors for the school by attending community events, competitions, and promotional appearances.
She finishes by commenting, “I just want to say thank you to my teachers and teammates for all the support and encouragement throughout the season. My teachers helped me balance school and cheer, and my teammates made every practice, game, and competition a great experience. I’m really grateful for the memories, friendships, and lessons that I will carry with me into the future.”
Madison says the first step of her work with the Mavericks Cheer Team will be attending a UCA college camp in the Wisconsin Dells at the end of July.