Calkins: How do you celebrate turning 50? If you’re Memphis Pom, you dance.
Cheri Ganong (middle), a former University of Memphis Pom Squad member and coach, rehearses on Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
Geoff Calkins
Geoff Calkins has been chronicling Memphis and Memphis sports for more than two decades. He is host of "The Geoff Calkins Show" from 9-11 a.m. M-F on 92.9 FM. Calkins has been named the best sports columnist in the country five times by the Associated Press sports editors, but still figures his best columns are about the people who make Memphis what it is.
Cheri Ganong watched the man enter through the side door of the Mid-South Coliseum and walk up into the stands.
It was 1979. Ganong, the coach of Memphis Pom, was feeling a little nervous about the upcoming game against Louisville.
“We had always worn traditional cheerleader uniforms: a skirt and a sweater,” she said. “But we had decided to wear these unitards. We had never worn anything as risqué as that.”
This is an excerpt of this story. To read more, please click here and subscribe.
Topics
Memphis Pom Cheri Ganong Memphis Tigers Al Maguire Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
Subscribers to The Daily Memphian help fund our not-for-profit newsroom of nearly 40 local journalists plus more than 20 freelancers, all of whom work around the clock to cover the issues impacting our community. Subscriptions - and donations - also help fund our community access programs which provide free access to K-12 schools, community organizations, and more. Thank you for making our work possible.
Geoff Calkins on demand
Never miss an article. Sign up to receive Geoff Calkins' stories as they’re published.
Enter your e-mail address
Related stories
Calkins: Dancing back to No. 1
After an eight-year drought, Memphis Pom won a national championship in hip-hop. The inside story of how Memphis reclaimed its spot atop the dance universe.
Calkins: Dancing with cancer. How two Memphis Pom teammates won’t let their diagnosis ruin their dreams
Josie Fellers and Chloe Wells are teammates on Memphis Pom who share a hometown, a birthday — and a fierce determination to not let cancer ruin their dreams.
Memphis Amateur Sports Hall of Fame names new inductees
The Memphis Amateur Sports Hall of Fame will induct its 14-member Class of 2024 on Monday, March 17.
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.