The evolution of LI cheerleaders in photos

Long Island high school cheerleading squads have changed drastically during the last century.

From below-the-knee skirts to miniskirts, from cartwheels to highflying flips, local cheerleaders have gone from simply cheering on athletes to becoming athletes themselves who often steal the spotlight and bring home trophies, too.

Use the link below this sentence to view the before-and-after-photos we've come across.

Were you a Long Island cheerleader? Send your high school photos to tara.conry@newsday.com and they may be featured on newsday.com.