A five-foot tall horse with a six-pound head flashes a peace sign and slides into the splits while the crowd goes wild. Tracer the Pacer is the epitome of school spirit at Hayes, and the girl under the foam head knows it.
“Everyone loves mascots,” said sophomore Cate Artemus, the student who performs as Tracer the Pacer. “They bring a lot of spirit everywhere.”
According to the OHSAA, in a state full of repeating mascots (35 schools alone are panthers) Hayes is the only school with the mascot of the Pacer.
Artemus first came across the costume when her sister, Chloe Artemus, was mascot. It was passed down to her through the Pacer Spirit committee, the group that organizes Pacer Fest among other activities. In the fall, with help from the school, the group fundraised for a new costume to replace the old one that was falling apart. Now Tracer is brighter than ever.
“On the daily, it’s fun to cover up,” Artemus said. “Even though people know it’s you, you do things with no embarrassment, because who cares?”
Tracer performs at Pacer Fest as well as football and basketball games. Artemus works together with the cheerleaders to get the crowd excited.
“I know Cate, [and] I like seeing her as Tracer,” sophomore cheerleader Lauren Burson said. “She always brightens up the games, and it’s always fun to see her out there because I know she likes what she’s doing.”
Although the costume is fun, it is also heavy and can overheat at long games. Artemus also said that it’s hard to move in because the head doesn’t stay attached to the body very well.
“It’s an exhausting job,” Artemus said. “[But], people get so excited to see it and I honestly do it for the people more than my own enjoyment.”
After having been untouched for a while before Covid-19, the horse made its way back in early 2021. The delight the mascot brings students and families is unrivaled.
“[Tracer is] a good way to get others who don’t go to the school, like children and families, involved and excited for things going on at Hayes,” Burson said.
Being a fun horse takes a certain personality. The performer must maintain an ever upbeat attitude through the uncomfort of the costume.
“I’m a very extroverted person, I have a lot of energy,” Artemus said. “I like that I’m able to kind of show it off in a way [as Tracer].”
Artemus will need to find a new student willing to be the mascot once she graduates. She has high hopes for the future of the horse.
“My biggest fear about passing it down is giving it to someone who wants it just because it can bring them popularity or a social status,” Artemus said. “I want Tracer to be [a] totally spirit based [person] who can be fun and extra because that’s what we need.”
Now that Tracer is back, the Pacers want him to stay.
“I notice a difference [when the mascot is at games] because whoever Tracer is always brings the energy and it’s motivating,” Burson said.
All in all, the horse brings out the best in everyone, including the mascot herself.
“I do love it,” Artemus said. “[Tracer] allows me to get involved with the school.”
