Montana State cheerleader and graduating senior is engineering his future

BOZEMAN - Graduating senior Nathan Spangenberg recalls two clear highlights from his time at Montana State University: being on the field as a member of the Spirit Squad when the Bobcat football team won the national championship on Jan. 5 in Nashville, Tennessee, and keeping a 3.0 grade point average throughout his academic career.

"Maintaining my 3.0 GPA while doing cheer and all the activities that you have to do with athletics is something I'm pretty proud of," said Spangenberg, who will graduate May 8 with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering.

"As Nathan's capstone project adviser, I have had the privilege of witnessing his growth and development as an engineering student preparing to go off into his career," said Elizabeth Varnes, lecturer and special assistant to the dean of the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering. "His attention to detail, perseverance, optimistic outlook and his demonstrated initiative are exceptional."

Spangenberg and his teammates will showcase their capstone project, which they designed and are currently building, at the engineering college's Design Fair to be held Thursday, April 30, in Asbjornson Hall. The function of their project is to provide programmable electronic signs in vehicles that would be visible to drivers of other vehicles as a medium of direct communication.

"Our capstone project sponsor basically brought us the idea of being able to communicate between vehicles," he said. "Right now, your only methods are like honking your horn, flashing your brights and hand signals. But he wanted a way to basically communicate to other vehicles. So, we designed and fabricated this box with four displays on it that basically you can interface from a smartphone application on an Android phone and you can send whatever message you want up there to whatever display you want and other drivers will be able to see it there."

The project's sponsor is Montana-based entrepreneur Brian Gladden, who has a company called Mongo Ventures, which "he uses to funnel interesting ideas through," Spangenberg said.

Between practice, events and games, Spangenberg estimates each of the 22 members of the MSU cheer squad, which is part of the MSU Spirit Squad, dedicates about 20 hours per week to the high-intensity, high-flying sport. He said they sometimes travel to away football games, such as playoff games or the Cat-Griz face-off when it's held in Missoula.

"We do a little bit more during game weeks because we get there pretty early for games," said Spangenberg, who is from Helena. "And when there's Cat-Griz going on or homecoming, we have other appearances pop up during the week."

Spangenberg has been cheering since his junior year of high school. He recalls his first practice, which came at the invitation of a future cheer teammate.

"You know the stereotypical cheerleader that you see in the movies where they're just somewhat rude and very full of themselves?" he asked. "Well, it was the exact opposite; everyone was welcoming. And that welcoming environment gave me a second family."

One of the most challenging aspects of the sport is the amount of endurance required to be successful.

"The endurance part of cheer is something that not many people see. I was up at 5 a.m. this morning and had a 6 a.m. [weightlifting session]," he said. "We practice for three hours a couple nights a week, and then we have the game day where it's you're going, going, going, going, going."

Part of the gameday energy-exerting hoopla includes arriving up to five hours prior to kick off to get taped up and ready for the Cat Prowl - the tradition of escorting the football players and coaches from the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse across West Kagy Avenue and into Bobcat Stadium.

"Once we enter the stadium, we're in full-on gameday mode," Spangenberg said.

After having a light snack on the sidelines, the squad then runs through the stunts they'll perform once the gates open. Then there's the tradition of greeting the other school's cheer squad. The home team usually provides a basket with energy drinks and snacks to welcome them.

"Yes, it is a rivalry," Spangenberg said. "But we're all basically fighting for the same sport at this point. So, it's like, here's a gift for you guys."

Of course, there is the in-game cheering and high-energy stunts that go on throughout. Then there's one of the most demanding traditions that takes place during the game: a cheerleader doing a pushup for every Bobcat point on the board after every score. That means when MSU defeated the visiting University of Montana Grizzlies 48-23 during the Football Championship Subdivision semifinals in December, a cheerleader had to do 48 pushups, not to mention the pushups for each score leading up to then.

"I've been on the pushup board a few times," he said, laughing. "I like to joke that game days are like two-day ordeals. You do the game all day Saturday, and then Sunday you're so exhausted that you feel like you can't do anything."

The memory of cheering in the Bobcat's national championship win over the Illinois State Redbirds this past January is a bit of a blur for him, he said.

"The energy in that stadium was so intense," Spangenberg said. "And the craziest part for me was the sea of blue and gold that covered the entire stadium. There was like maybe one section in the entire stands that was just the Redbirds. Everywhere else was just blue and gold."

When the Bobcats secured the overtime win with a tiebreaking extra point as the clock wound down, Spangenberg said he sort of lost himself in the joy of the moment.

"I just took off onto the field and then a couple of minutes later I went, 'Wait a minute. Where'd my team go?'" he said.

In addition to a lifetime of memories, Spangenberg said cheerleading has given him something else.

"It's made me more confident in just who I am as a person," he said. "I'm a lot more confident outside of just being on the field. I'm not afraid to ask questions in class and I'm not afraid to be wrong."

"Nathan is the kind of leader every team hopes for," said Nicola Norris, head coach of the MSU Spirit Squad. "He consistently shows up for others. Whether that's stepping in to help a teammate, bringing energy and encouragement when it's needed most, or representing our program with pride in the community. On game days, his presence is undeniable; he brings a level of spirit, confidence and connection that elevates everyone around him."

The MSU Spirit Squad consists of the cheerleading squad, the dance team and Champ the mascot.

After commencement, Spangenberg will be relocating to Billings to work as an electrical engineer at IMEG, a national engineering and design consulting company.

"I'll be a consultant engineer there," he said. "I'll be working on the electrical distribution for lighting and all that stuff in commercial buildings."

If asked, Spangenberg said, he would counsel incoming MSU students to make time away from the rigors of academics.

"Don't always bury yourself in your books. It's OK," he said. "College is that last chance you're going to have before getting out into the real world to make friends that you'll have for a lifetime."