Reese Rountree Wraps up Stellar Cheerleading Career at UGA

Reese Rountree finished her memorable cheerleading career at the University of Georgia this school year.

Rountree cheered at many games for multiple sports at UGA and was part of the squad that cheered on the Bulldogs to the second of its back-to-back football national championships in 2022. During her four years at UGA, the Bulldogs finished 51-6 overall (29-3 in Southeastern Conference games).

“It was definitely surreal, finishing up at UGA,” Rountree said. “The Lord was evident my whole time there. My faith grew there! I met my best friends there. I know exactly why I was there. Winning the big games and the national championship were highlights, but truly it was the friendships. The night my appendix burst, it was my teammate that got me to the hospital. It is so special the bond the cheerleaders at a Division I school have.”

Rountree, who earned a bachelor’s degree in advertising and a minor in design and media, is moving to Charleston, S.C. to take on a role as brand marketing intern at Garden & Gun Magazine.

“I am super excited,” said Rountree, a 2022 graduate of Fellowship Christian School. “The magazine is the perfect fit. My time at UGA has set me up for this role. Experiencing the Grady School was very memorable. The dean and the professors there all poured into me. They were great years there. And I loved the Lamar Dodd School of Art, and the classes I took there too. All my classes helped build my confidence.”

Obviously cheerleading has helped a little with her confidence too.

The cheerleading community at FCS is like a big extended family, but a family tradition for the Rountrees. Older sister Sydney and younger sister Peyton both cheered for the Paladins.

A 2024 graduate of FCS, Peyton is member of the University of Mississippi’s cheerleading team. When Reese was a junior and Peyton a freshman the two were featured in an ESPN College Game Day Interview before an Ole Miss-UGA contest.

“It was a full circle moment,” Reese said. “I was so nervous before that interview, but being there with my sister was so special. Cheering has always been about the family. Getting to see my younger sister thrive has been so exciting. My older sister was so supportive of us both at FCS and in college. How evident the Lord is in our lives. The cheerleaders at Fellowship were so close. I still talk to Brooke Buckner [who cheered at Mississippi State], Molly Sullivan and coach Bohler. I created ultimate bonds there.”

The middle Rountree has advice for FCS graduates heading to Division I programs in cheering.

“Stay with it,” she said. “Have the mindset of sticking with it and enjoying the moments. Be confident and out yourself out there. Don’t live in fear and go after what you want to accomplish. The Lord have given you the opportunity and He is going to guide you.”

(Photos courtesy of Reese Rountree’s Instagram page, UGA)