On May 18, Lily Wright signed her National Letter of Intent to continue cheerleading at the University of Maryland (UMD) in College Park, Maryland. She will be cheering at the Division I level as a main base and tumbler and will be entering the school as a member of the class of 2030.
Wright began her cheerleading career through the youth programs at Linganore High School (LHS). She began all-star cheer at Cheer Extreme but moved to Maryland Twisters in 2023 and stayed with them until her senior year.
Within her three years of eligibility at Maryland Twisters, Wright went to The Cheerleading Worlds three times, competing among over 9000 cheer athletes. Two out of those three times, Wright’s cheer team finished in the top 10.
In her four-year career on the varsity LHS cheerleading team, Wright won the title of county champion three times, went undefeated in the regional championships and made Linganore cheer history by being the first Linganore class to be three-time state champions.
LHS cheer coach Amy Rumburg described Wright as a “true teammate,” who diligently worked herself into a key role on the team, despite starting cheer later than most.
“She has put in the work to get to where she is today,” Rumburg said. “She did it quietly, and she did it humbly, but she made her presence known … she never gave up on herself, and she pushed herself to be better each day, and it has paid off for her. She truly is a coaches’ dream.”
Although Wright’s mother, Kara Wright, went to UMD, it was not the deciding factor for Lily Wright when picking where she wanted to cheer. Ultimately, it came down to the relationship she developed with the team and coaches.
“Every time you go to a clinic at UMD … they’re so welcoming and so inviting and they want you to be a part of something bigger,” Lily Wright said. “I know if I ever needed something, I could go straight to them, and they would be there for me.”
While at UMD, Wright plans to major in nursing to become a nurse practitioner.
During the college recruitment process, Wright described her mother as her “biggest fan, who always helped [her] through.” But to Kara Wright, it was hard not to support her daughter when she eased into the role of a leader so naturally and was so passionate about pursuing cheer at the collegiate level.
“Her drive drove me,” Kara Wright said. “So, if she wanted to do it, I was taking her. She came in here as a timid ninth-grader, a young kid on a big team and … just watching her become a leader and become somebody who’s going to take charge has been the most standout thing.”
Rumburg agrees that Lily Wright will shine, even when academics get tougher and athletics get more strenuous.
“If there is one thing I know about Lily, she is going to work just as hard at the next level,” Rumburg said. “Maryland is not only getting one heck of a student athlete, but they are also getting an amazing young lady.”
