Sideline Cheer Spotlight: Payton Garbacz

Payton Garbacz, a senior at Lake Shore High School, began her cheer journey in third grade while growing up in South Lyon. She cheered for the South Lyon Panthers through eighth grade before moving to St. Clair Shores and joining the Lake Shore community.

Although she was new to Lake Shore, Payton quickly found her place. She says the welcoming environment and friendships she built, especially with LSHS Class of 2025 graduate Teressa Leahy, helped her instantly feel at home. "You become a family every year," she shared.

Payton competes as a flyer, though she originally started as a base. Cheer hasn't always been easy. She admits the falls and tumbling challenges can be intimidating, but she's learned to push through fear and "just go for it." One of her proudest accomplishments was landing her back tuck after four years of hard work and dedication. Her next goal is mastering a back handspring tuck and continuing cheer at the college level.

Some of her favorite memories come from summer cheer camp, where teammates bond, connect, and build lifelong friendships. She also fondly remembers competition season during her freshman year when the team hit all of their tucks in Round 2.

Payton's passion for cheer continues to drive her both on and off the mat. Along with staying focused on school, good grades, and family, she says one important tradition before every performance is praying together as a team.

As she looks ahead, Payton hopes to help her team win the MAC White, make a run to States, and continue building the strong tradition of Lake Shore cheer. While competition cheer is exciting, she says sideline cheer holds a special place in her heart because it's fun, less stressful, and gives athletes the chance to learn new skills.