Los Altos native Spangler makes Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders

By Pete Borello, Town Crier Staff Writer

photo courtesy of Miko Bagley Starr Spangler of Los Altos has made the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. At 19, she is the second-youngest person on the squad.

When your name is Starr and you live in the Lone Star State, you’re bound to draw attention. Add the title of Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, and you’re practically a celebrity in Texas.

That’s the situation Los Altos native Starr Spangler finds herself in after making the world-famous cheerleading squad last month. Routinely asked, “Is that your real name?” during her freshman year at Texas Christian University, Spangler can expect a new line of questioning as a sophomore, like “Hey, aren’t you a cheerleader for the Cowboys?”

Spangler’s first public appearance as an official Cowboys cheerleader came last week at a Dallas department store, where she signed autographs at the squad’s calendar-release party.

“It’s so surreal,” the 19-year-old said.

Just seeing herself in the uniform is a dream-like experience for Spangler.

“When I put it on and look in the mirror or look at a picture of myself, I’m like, ‘Is that really me?” said the 2004 St. Francis High grad. “I can’t really believe it’s really me in that uniform.”

Spangler said she dreamed of donning the star-studded uniform “ever since I was a little girl” and chose a college in Texas so she could be close enough to try out. Her mom, Caroline Spangler, added, “Since childhood, it’s been one of her life goals.”

Reaching the goal required surviving several rounds of tryouts to make the 36-member squad. More than 600 young women participated in the initial audition, at which each of them had to do a 30-second dance to randomly selected music in front of 12 judges. Three hundred moved on to the semifinals to strut their stuff in dance and kick-line routines. Seventy-five advanced to the finals, which involved an interview, writing an essay, demonstrating a routine learned earlier in the week and a 90-second talent performance. Spangler sang and danced to Shania Twain’s “Any Man of Mine.”

Although Spangler made the cut, she wasn’t on the squad just yet. Spangler and the 45 other remaining hopefuls were sent to training camp - the final test.

“It was intense,” said Spangler, who started dancing in first grade at Dance Attack in Mountain View and was on the cheer squad at St. Francis. “It’s very hard and takes a lot out of you.”

Each day began with a two-mile run in the Texas heat, then 45 minutes of exercises “similar to what the military has to do,” Spangler said. Then came hours of learning routines.

The final selections were announced on the famous star adorning the Texas Stadium field, an experience “I’ll never forget,” Spangler said.

Spangler, one of 15 rookies on the squad, returned to the stadium Saturday to perform at the Cowboys’ first home game, an exhibition against the Houston Texans. The CMT cable network was there as well, shooting footage for a two-hour special on the cheerleaders set to air this fall.