Fayette High School senior Hayden Sage signed a letter of intent last week to become a member of the cheerleading squad at Missouri Valley College next year.

Sage is the second Falcon cheerleader to ink with the Marshall, Mo., school. Maddie Race signed with Missouri Valley a year ago and is currently a freshman there.

Sage signed her commitment before a crowd of family, friends, and teammates on Wednesday, April 9. She chose Missouri Valley College because it is not too far away from home but just far enough.

“It’s one of the programs I’ve liked from the beginning,” she said. “I’ve wanted to cheer in college for a long time.”

The Mo. Valley cheer program offers four teams: a game-day team, UCA and NAIA competitive teams, and a stunt team.

“Our athletes do have the opportunity to cross-compete and participate on multiple teams. We will have tryouts for those teams at the beginning of the year,” said Missouri Valley cheer coach Nick Lutz. He noted Sage would be an easy fit for any of those teams.

“She came up to visit and made the decision pretty easy for us after seeing the way she interacted and fit in with the team,” Coach Lutz added. “What she’s capable of, the potential she has for further growth in her skills throughout college, it was really a no-brainer.”

Sage’s skillset and size make her a talented “top girl,” often hoisted to the apex of formations and in aerial displays. She helped her high school team to a top-10 finish in three events at a game day competition held in Springfield, Mo., in February.

“I am definitely going to start with the game day team, but I would like to work my way up to one of the competitive teams,” Sage said about her cheer plans for next year.

When not cheering for the Vikings, she plans to major in nursing.