BUTLER TWP — The Butler High competitive cheerleading program is offering a pretty good combo deal these days.

The program helps prepare girls for college academically, then provides the avenue to get there.

Seven of the Golden Tornado's 10 senior competitive cheerleaders are taking advantage of that by joining college programs this fall.

Alisha Slomers and Jeralyn Smith are headed to Pitt, Adaire Robinson is going to Penn State, Megan Kosar to Kent State, Rebecca Cratty to Mercyhurst, and Kellie Sub and Kristin Karam chose Slippery Rock University.

An eighth cheerleader — 2008 Butler graduate Fallon O'Donnell — tried out for and made the Pitt squad as well.

"I always wanted to go to California and was going to school in Santa Barbara," O'Donnell said. "I wanted to transfer back east and took a shot at making Pitt's squad."

O'Donnell had a 3.9 grade point average in high school — par for the course with this group. Robinson is graduating with a 4.06, Smith a 4.3, Slomers a 3.9.

"It's a matter of budgeting time and keeping organized to do what you want to do," O'Donnell said. "We're all passionate about cheerleading."

Smith said the Butler cheerleading program emphasizes academics.

"The coaches make it top priority," she said. "If we don't keep our grades up, we can't cheer."

Outgoing cheerleading coach Lindsay Hasychak sees a correlation between the personality traits of cheerleaders and academic achievement.

"We usually don't get that many seniors on the competitive squad," she said. "It's hard to keep the older girls in the program. They feel they need jobs or they move on to other things.

"Seniors who have stuck with it for that long are generally highly motivated, driven and dedicated people. That attitude spills over to the classroom," she added.

Butler had one senior competitive cheerleader last year, none in 2008 and only three in 2007.

Pitt kept just six of the nearly 50 girls who tried out in April. Three of those six were from Butler.

"I didn't know if they'd keep that many from one school," Hasychak said.

The Butler girls forced their hand.

"All three of us have backgrounds in gymnastics and that helped us a lot," O'Donnell said. "We were able to stand out from the crowd."

Slomers agreed.

"Our coaches are very committed to us," she said. "They prepare us for the next level. There's nothing we saw at tryouts we couldn't handle."

Smith was a competitive gymnast until a stress fracture in her back forced her out of the sport.

She's grateful she had competitive cheering to fill the void, joining the squad her sophomore year.

"I loved it," Smith said.

O'Donnell is interested in political science. Slomers will major in biology while Smith wants to become a physician's assistant.

Robinson was among 100 girls trying out for Penn State's squad and was one of 10 incoming freshmen to be accepted.

The Nittany Lion tryouts lasted four days, from April 28 through May 1.

"Talk about intense. That was the most stressful weekend of my entire life," Robinson said. "My mother made the trip with me and we stayed in a hotel."

Penn State has a Facebook page which lists all of the cheers and dance routines the cheerleading squad wanted the girls to learn.

Robinson was unaware of the page until she arrived in Happy Valley.

"My mom bought a laptop and I stayed in that hotel room all day drilling those routines into my head," Robinson said. "It was 80 degrees outside, but I stayed inside.

"I'm just happy I made one of the teams."

Robinson plans to major in sports journalism. Kosar plans to study secondary education at Kent State.

"Since ninth grade, I knew I wanted to cheer in college," Kosar said. "Butler's program gives you that opportunity if you want to pursue it."

Hasychak is handing the reins of the program to assistant coach Nicole Nea next season. Hasychak had replaced Randi Stoner, who guided Butler to a second-place finish at nationals during O'Donnell's sophomore year.

"Randi Stoner was an incredible coach," O'Donnell said. "She pushed me. She pushed this program. Coach Stoner — all of our coaches —they're a big reason we're all where we're at."