By Marissa Burd
Junior Editor-in-Chief Hershey, Pennsylvania hosted the PIAA Competitive Spirit Championship, also known as “States,” from Jan 19-20. Red Lion High School’s very own coed competition squad competed against 17 other teams in the Giant Center on that very Friday, Jan 19. The divisions were split up into Small, Medium, and Large All-Girl, and Coed. After placing in the top five for the coed division, the squad immediately moved onto finals, which was scheduled for Saturday, Jan 20. The squad ended the season with a score of 80.27 and took third place overall in the state. States invites competition squads from all over the state of Pennsylvania to compete in Hershey’s Giant Center. The competition is set up over a two day period. Friday marked the first day where every team taking part in the competition competed. Later that day, specific teams were picked to move onto finals. On Saturday, teams from each division performed their routine one final time in hopes to place in the competition and receive a title.
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By Marissa Burd
Junior Editor-in-Chief From Hershey to Orlando, Red Lion Coed Competition Cheerleading has had the opportunity to travel up and down the East Coast while doing the thing they’re most passionate about-cheer. The competition squad originated in 2001, by Angie Masser, an English teacher and cheerleading coach at the high school. Masser has coached football, basketball, and competition cheer for Red Lion. By Brianna Lehr
Staff Writer The Red Lion Competition Cheer is making outstanding accomplishments this season. In fact, on Jan 20., The team competed in prelims, which allowed the top five teams to go straight to finals, and the teams that placed sixth through twelfth would go to semi finals. Red Lion competed using their original routine and placed fifth after just one day, which meant they were going straight to finals. By Brianna Lehr Business Manager The Red Lion competition cheer team has been working since August to ensure they reach top ten in nationals. “Walking off the mat at nationals feels so unreal because everything we worked so hard for finally paid off,” senior cheerleader Steph Healy said. The team qualified for nationals on their most recent competition on Dec. 4 and compete at districts on Dec. 17 and if they’re placed at the top of their division, they are able to go to states, which is located at the Giant Center in Hershey, on Jan. 20 & 21. By Shawn Gunarich Features Editor In the beginning of February, the competition cheerleaders traveled to Disney World in Orlando, Florida to compete in their second consecutive appearance on a national level. Ashleigh Reinert physical education teacher and coach expressed her feelings of the experience as, nothing else like it. “The atmosphere, there is nothing else like it”, Reinert said “everyone on the squad put forth the effort and I’m glad we made it as far we did.” Competition cheer placed 12 out of 21 teams in the co-ed division. “We did great, we were a little disappointed with what we got, but you can’t take anything away from the other teams,” Reinert said, “but in the end it’s just a great experience.” Competition cheer had a long year full of late night practices to make sure everyone was on the same level as the others. “It was hard to get everyone to work together and get on the same level as others,” Reinert said, “over half the team had never stepped out onto the mat before,” But when competition time came around the squad was ready, placing fourth in states and pushing on to finals. “It’s like a well oiled machine,” Junior Samantha Sprenkle said as she described what it is like going through a routine during a competition. Red Lions competition cheer is already looking to the future and gearing up for more practice and have talked of recruiting, much like what they did with the football players this year. Red Lions competition cheer is already looking to the future and gearing up for more practice. “I worry sometimes about the longevity of comp cheer, but I’m very positive about next year, and have high hopes,” Reinert said, “if we can do what we did this year I will have no complaints.” “I’m very proud of all of them, for all their hard work,” coach Reinert said. By Shawn Gunarich News and Feature Editor Red Lion’s competition cheer squad has made nationals now for the second year in a row. “I never would have imagined making nationals let alone twice”, Angela Masser English teacher and coach said, “if someone would have told me that last year I would have laughed”. Red Lion competition cheer has faced some challenges along the way as well with several injuries in the squad, forcing others to step up, like Emma Kurshan who was put at the position of base who holds the flyer in the air and is one of the most important stunt person.”She really stepped up to the plate”, Ashleigh Reinert coach and physical education teacher said,”She really pulled through”. Nationals will take place this coming February at Disney Florida, where Red Lion will be up against around 50 schools around the United States, “were ready Florida”, Bronson Warner Junior and cheer member, “Bring it on”. The cheer squad also welcomed some new members as Bronson Warner, Nick Argento and Stephen Tierney, all who are Juniors and all starting varsity football players, all joined for separate reasons but were welcomed all the same as one of the crew. “All the other guys made us feel welcomed”, Stephen Tierney said, “we were part of the crew in no time”. But while cheer gains they also lose, this is the last year for five seniors who in the past have carried the team, “this is my passion, I want next year’s cheerleaders to have the same ambition and passion as is do”, Judge Kunce, senior and cheerleader. The seniors wish all the best of luck to future cheerleaders. |
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