Memorial Stadium on game days has a way of sparking some pretty big dreams for kids growing up in Nebraska. Some want to be on the football team, others want to play in the band and some kids dream of becoming a member of the spirit squad.

As a young girl, Sarah Vaggalis would go to every Husker football game she could. But her passion for game days had little to do with a love of the pigskin. While the game was going on between the white lines, Sarah's eyes were fixed on the sidelines. Because for Sarah, the Scarlets were the main event. "I always knew that I wanted to come to UNL and be on the Scarlets dance team for the Huskers," exclaims Sarah.

But Sarah quickly found out the difference between dreaming and achieving, "I tried out and made it to the final cut and sadly, got cut my freshman year." The dream was put on hold. "I was definitely heart-broken, but I definitely didn't want to give up. I knew that I wanted to work harder, stay in dance classes and try out the next year."

Sarah tried out for the cheer squad her sophomore year, but again didn't make the cut, "I really wanted it and I wasn't able to give up just because I didn't make Scarlets my first year. I knew that it was something I wanted to be a part of and I had to go through the bumps in the road to get there, but it was something that I really, really wanted."

The third time was the charm for this former Lincoln Pius Thunderette, "It's crazy being out there, but it's so much fun."

Sarah's coach is former Denver Broncos cheerleader Erynn Nicholson and she says this Husker junior is one of the most positive people she's ever know, "She is such a rare gem. She's got an awesome talent. She's got an amazing positive spirit."

Coming up a week from Friday Sarah and her fellow Scarlets will be heading to Florida to cheer on the Huskers in the Capital One Bowl game. And then the rest of the winter, you can catch Sarah and her crew as they cheer on the mens and womens basketball teams at the Devaney Center.