Homecoming; Emma Limegrover Relocates Back to Twin Cities to Cheer at St. Thomas University

When a place feels like home, it’s certainly where you want to be most of the time. I understand the need to get out of your comfort zone argument because it’s important for growth. However, I personally think it’s certainly possible to still grown when you’re in a place that you feel comfortable.

(Photos courtesy of Emma Limegrover)

Speaking of homecomings, State College Area High School graduate, Emma Limegrover, is getting one with her college experience. A native of Minnesota, Limegrover moved to State College in time for high school and spent four years as a cheerleader for the Little Lions. She also went on to cheer for Superstar Athletics in Bellefonte, a program that traveled nationally to compete.

As a youngster, Limegrover spent plenty of Saturday afternoons at the football field, cheering on the Golden Gophers as her father, Matt, was a longtime assistant coach for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football program. While football was interesting, her favorite part was watching the cheerleaders. 

“They were everything I wanted to be growing up,” she said of the cheerleaders she watched. “Confident, strong, talented, positive, and beautiful. When cheer consumed my entire life from ages 10 to 17, I couldn’t see myself stopping when I graduated high school.”

Luckily, she didn’t have to. The opportunity arose to head back to her home state of Minnesota by way of St. Thomas University, an institution that was a Division III powerhouse and is now looking to do the same as a Division I athletic department.

“I applied to St. Thomas more as a back-up school, but as I went through the college decision process, I realized St. Thomas was the perfect fit for me. It’s right near two big cities in St Paul and Minneapolis, but it has a beautiful, spacious campus. I got a generous amount of money in academic scholarship and I got accepted to the honors program. I also liked the opportunities within the business school and those working for the school always made me feel like a real person, rather than a statistic. So far, it’s been perfect in every way and I can see so many doors open for my future here.”

The small college experience was something more her style as when she lived in Minnesota growing up, she attended a small, private school before going to a large, public high school like State High for her high school experience. The opportunities a small college can provide include the opportunity to not just be a student-athlete, but also an employee for the St. Thomas University Opus College of Business as a Digital Marketing Intern.

Her role includes creating social media posts for Instagram, reporting analytics, managing the website, writing a weekly newsletter, collaborating with clubs and organizations to update their information, and assisting in administrative tasks for the school. Now in her second year in the role, landing this job came as a surprise as she came in as a first-year college student and earned the opportunity. 

She’s also added being a member of Delta Sigma Pi (DSP) to her schedule, a co-ed business fraternity that provides many community service, networking, and professional development opportunities. Not to mention, the dedication it takes to remain a collegiate student-athlete.

The Tommies are currently working through the administrative and growing challenges as a cheerleading program that’s going from a club sport to a varsity sport. At the time of this piece, the program is a sideline and game-day squad that performs during breaks in competition. Moving forward, Limegrover is excited for the chance to hopefully compete at the college level. It was through competing that she experienced so much growth as both an athlete and person.

“My first team was as a fifth grader for my small, private school and we could barely perform basics, but it introduced me to the competitive and scholastic cheer realm. From there, I joined an All-Star team at a local gymnastics place (in Minnesota). I excelled quickly in my skills, but as a whole, the gym was small and we didn’t win much. After I moved (to Pennsylvania), I quickly joined an Superstar Athletics. I fully threw myself into the cheer world and learned so much there. We traveled every weekend in the fall and winter, practiced four times a week, and I met some of my closest friends there.”

She eventually would go on to win four letters for the Little Lions cheerleading squad, something she balanced while being dedicated to her club team. Superstar Athletics eventually made it to the Summit and World competitions, two of her favorite memories from her time in the sport.

“My favorite memory was definitely competing at Worlds my senior year of high school. I had been watching videos of teams competing at Worlds since I started cheering and all of my biggest cheer role models had been to that competition in Orlando, Florida. I worked hard every year to make it but, our team always seemed to fall short of a bid to participate. My senior year, we did really well and made it to the competition. Walking into the arena for the first time, I cried so hard because I felt like my entire cheerleading career had led to that moment. I’ve never been more proud of myself in my entire life. It was emotional and amazing and a very big turning point in my life.”

Limegrover is currently in her third semester as a business logistics, materials, and supply chain management major. This summer, she spent time working in the service industry as a tutor for ACE Academy in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Her family relocated there recently, and she found an opportunity to help children that were a variety of ages and abilities improve themselves in a variety of subject areas. Eventually, she hopes to become a business owner and a Target operational specialist intern. The company has a great reputation and is headquartered in Minneapolis.

Coming back to Minnesota has provided the chance to connect with old friends, meet new ones, and transition with an athletic department to the Division I level. She’s also been able to gain experience in many industries and join DSP to assist her as she moves forward towards looking for internship and career opportunities. While cheerleading is a big part of her identity, it’s not the only thing Emma Limegrover is known for. In fact, she’s still building an impressive resume that will guide her towards entrepreneurship one day.

Congratulations on coming home and all you’ve accomplished so far, Emma! Best of luck as you continue your days at St. Thomas and as a college cheerleader 📣