Passionate about cheering, willing to learn and serve, Lacy William persevered even when she didn't get selected for the seventh-grade cheer team.
This year, as a junior, she was the only Blackhawk cheerleader named to the All-State team.
In seventh grade, when she didn't get selected for the school team, Williams contacted Mindy Cawthon, her coach from Pee Wee cheer, and volunteered to help coach younger cheer leaders.
"Don't lie and don't quit" were two qualities Williams said she learned from her father. She said her mother was "really great at sports" when she was a student and she was "really adamant about me keeping going."
She has been in the Pea Ridge schools and Pee Wee cheer since she was in the fourth grade.
"I used to watch cheer when I was really little -- like Razorback cheer and college cheer," she said.
"She was one of my Pea Ridge Youth cheerleaders," Cawthon said of Williams. "She decided that she was going to go out for the Pea Ridge Junior High cheer team in seventh grade. Unfortunately, she didn't make the squad that year. Did Lacy let that stop her? Absolutely not! She came to me and asked if she could help me coach youth cheer the next year and we could work on her cheer motions, technique, and tumbling etc. She inspired me with her work ethic and determination and in eighth grade she made the Pea Ridge Junior High squad.
"Let's fast forward to her high school cheer career where she was the ONLY Pea Ridge High School Cheerleader to make the All State Cheer Team and she is just a junior! To say I am proud of this girl is an understatement! Again, I will say her positive attitude, work ethic and determination is what sets her apart from other kids!"
When asked what she needed to improve to make the junior high team, Williams said: "Definitely jumps, dance, coordination like with motions and stuff -- essentially everything.
"For me, I really struggled with ... I'm really tall and really long ... I had to focus on being sharp with what I did. Even with dance, cheer dance is different than normal dance, so you have to be really sharp and also flow at the same time -- refining the skills I already had."
She wants to cheer in college -- either at University of Arkansas or Arkansas Tech University. She hopes to be an attorney so she said she may major in criminal or pre-law, but also likes art and wants to pursue studio arts -- painting and watercolor. She is currently applying for the Arkansas Governor's School and has applied for internships.
"I really love the camaraderie," I feel like our coaches do a good job of choosing leaders," she said. "We all work so well together. It's a good friend group."
"I think you need to have a thick skin," she said, explaining that taking criticism used to be difficult for her, but that she realized she had to learn from criticism given to help her improve.
Williams is the eldest of six girls and two of her younger sisters are cheerleaders.
She is competition captain and is point jumper.
"I like to be involved," she said. "I give a lot of tours to new students. I like knowing people and giving back."
She is president of the Junior Class, is a sprinter and jumper for the track team, a member of Gifted and Talented, the National Honor Society, president of National Art Honor Society, involved in musical theater and choir for a time and choreographed the '80s Showcase last year, head of the prom planning committee and is in a book club.
She works out at a local gym with her father regularly.
"Competition cheer and track keeps me in shape," she said.
Williams, 17, is the daughter of Luther Williams Jr. and Kathryn Williams and the granddaughter of Luther Williams Sr. and Eloise Williams and Rick and Cynthia Ward, all of Pea Ridge.