ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Rachel Sorge really hadn’t given much thought to the idea of extending her cheering career beyond high school.

Then, however, she simply decided that she would like to at least see how she stacked up, so she attended a college cheer combine.

It turned out that the St. Clairsville senior not only loved what she experienced, she caught the eye of the Ohio State University cheering coaches.

Over the course of the next several weeks and months, Sorge attended many clinics and combines, focusing on stunting, which she had never done. After a workout in February, Sorge received the ultimate news.

“I signed up for one, last private clinic in February kind of as my ‘last hurrah’ and when it ended, the coach asked if I would get my family and come talk to him in his office,” Sorge recalled.

It was during that meeting that Sorge was extended the invitation to join the 2020-21 Ohio State University cheering team.

“I went to that last clinic just to try to prove to the coaches that I had been working on my stunting,” Sorge said. “When Coach Ben handed me that letter, I was beyond shocked.”

When the college selection process started, Sorge not only wasn’t overly interested in cheering, she also didn’t have Ohio State on her radar … at first.

“I always thought that Ohio State would be too big of a school for me to fit into,” Sorge said. “I honestly always had a thing for Miami University, but my mom convinced me to at least give it a try. And as soon as I went there, I completely changed my mind. I knew as soon as I started going to clinics and private (lessons) i nthe fall, I wanted to cheer there more than anything.”

Sorge, who was a part of four state and OVAC championship squads at St. Clairsville, admits that her confidence entering the process wasn’t the highest.

“Knowing how many people want to cheer for Ohio State, my confidence wasn’t very high because I never knew if I would be good enough to cheer there,” Sorge said.

There were hiccups during the journey, but one of the things that caught the OSU cheering coaches eye was how quickly Sorge worked to improve and correct her mistakes.

“The coach told me his favorite thing about me was when I get a correction, I fix it immediately,” Sorge admitted.

Sorge will leave for Columbus later this summer and join the Buckeyes’ cheering squad for the 2020 football season. As she closes the book on her prep career, which was curt short because of COVID-19, she will always remember her years as a Red Devil.

“The bonds I formed in high school are something I will never forget,” Sorge said. “High school is one of the best memories of my life so far, and I can’t imagine not participating in high school cheer. Now, I can’t wait to begin my journey as a Buckeye cheerleader because the possibilities are unpredictable.”

Along with cheering, Sorge lettered four times in track and field. She was a regional track qualifier and also the program’s ‘Most Improved Player’ as a sophomore. She was an OVAC champion on the oval as well.

Away from athletics, Sorge shined in the classroom. She was a four-time Academic All-OVAC selection and is a member of the National Honor Society. She’s also a member of Student Council, Student Action Committee, Drug Free Club, French Club, Culture Club, Senior Sisters and Touchdown Girls. She was also the 2019 St. Clairsville Homecoming Queen.

Rachel, who plans to major in exercise physiology, is the daughter of Lonna Lewis-Sorge and John Sorge.