They go to camp. They practice. They climb into their uniforms and hit the field. They sweat — a lot. They are not an athletic team, they are a team of athletic supporters. They are Cy.

Who is Cy? Cy is the guy who Cyclone crowds adore.

But Cy isn’t really a guy. He is three women. Marcie Vaughn, Amy Kearns and Lori Beckman are the trio of women who put on the furry, cardinal-colored mass of fur.

The trio behind the beak takes turns walking the special Cy walk at all home football games as well as volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, hockey games and wrestling matches.

The job requires the spirited women silently sport a sweaty suit for lengthy periods of time.

“You get really, really hot. It stinks really bad. You have to take five showers so you can feel remotely clean,” Kearns said.

Fortunately, Kearns said there are only three people who play Cy this year, as opposed to last year’s six, which helps cuts down on the odor.

Also, she said having three females and two suits makes it more bearable because the women are more likely to bathe Cy.

At football games, all three women take turns playing Cy. She said the most recently worn costume can breathe until the next mascot rotation.

Despite the sweat, smell and silence, the three women said the gig is definitely worthwhile for a number of reasons.

Kearns is fulfilling a lifelong goal with her second identity as Cy.

She said that she has been an ISU fan her whole life, and spent her younger years admiring Cy.

As a freshman, Kearns said everyone on her floor knew of her aspiration to be the school mascot. She tried out in the spring and got the job.

“It gives me a chance to support the teams in a different kind of way,” Kearns said. “I do it because when you’re Cy, you can do anything. No one knows who you are.”

Vaughn, who is in her third season as Cy, said “it’s nice to have an alternate personality.”

As far as she is concerned, the best thing about the job is making people happy.

She said the hugs and posing for pictures make a difference in the lives of the fans, even though Cy may not realize it.

“Knowing that you made that much of an impact in somebody’s life is kind of rewarding, ” Vaughn said.

This is the first year Beckman has gotten in on the ex”CY”tement. .

“I am one of the biggest Cyclone fans, and I figured that this would be a good way to support the team. You can act crazy. You can have fun, ” the rookie said.

Beckman said the job is a “leadership/spirit thing” for her.

The Oklahoma State game was the first time she suited up. She said she enjoyed working the tailgate and said being close to the action was “awesome.”

Cy also travels to away games, but not all three women always go to the distant competitions. Kearns said it varies from game to game.

Sometimes, being Cy can be scary.

Kearns said sometimes the student fans are not so kind to the big bird.

“They throw things at you, and they’ll hit you,” she said. “I usually have someone that is near, in case someone starts going crazy.”

One time, Kearns said she attended a basketball game at Iowa and Herky the Hawk came up and gave Cy an unexpected shove.

Kearns also explained another behind-the-scene mishap.

She said one time the headband holding back her hair slipped over her eyes and became her blindfold.

To fix this problem, she had to “crawl into the hall way and rip my head off” because taking the Cy’s head off in front of the crowd is a big “no-no.”

All in all, the three of them find themselves laughing on the inside — inside a hot, sweaty mass of feathers known as Cy.